Ice and Stone
by gxanderia
Summary: Asami struggles with life after the fight with her father. She travels to Ba Sing Se to try and forget, but finds it's not that easy. Old and new friends help her. But, she finds she'll have to face her fears in the end. She also finds someone to heal her broken heart. Features an original character. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Just to give some background info on my story. It takes place four months after the finale. Lin did not get her bending back from Korra. Asami is struggling with the company and with life in general. Asami's father escaped after their fight. Amon is dead, but the equalist movement is not.

Another empty bottle of cactus juice joins the five empty ones on the bar. Earlier that night she thought she could drown her sorrows, but now she finds they have learned how to swim. She sits alone at one end of the bar, allowing the cactus juice to blur her thoughts. She didn't want to be reminded of how alone she is tonight, of how alone she has been for the past four months.

"Another Miss Sato?" The waiter asks.

She shakes her head no. "Just water, please." Her words slur.

The edges of the room have begun to blur as she takes money out of her purse and slips it under an empty bottle. She watches Korra laughing with a group of her new friends. Mako sits beside her, smiling, but still his stoic self. She thinks she might recognize some of them from the pro-bending arena, but she has not been back since it reopened. She smiles and nods as Bolin waves from across the bar. As much as she did not want to come tonight, she could not say no to him. He seems to be the only friend she has left.

The waiter sets a glass of water down before her. She stares at it for a moment, watching sweat drip down the sides of the glass. The ice floats motionless near the top. She watches and toys with the idea that she can bend water. The water in the glass shakes. Asami rubs her eyes and looks again.

"Hey!" Bolin says a little too loudly next to her.

Disappointment floods her. '_Why did I think I could do that to begin with?_' She asks herself. She shakes her head and turns to Bolin with a smile, a smile she is becoming very good at faking.

"I'm loving your impression of Mako over here."

Asami nods before taking the glass and doing her best to drink as quickly as possible.

"Too soon?" His eyes drop with apologies.

"No, no. It's fine." Asami forces the words out through the glass.

"Take it easy there champ."

She slams the glass down on the bar. "I should head out. It's getting late. I have a thing to do tomorrow."

"Are you sure? Pabu thinks you should stay!" The fire ferret finds its way out of Bolin's shirt and onto Asami's lap.

She scratches his head and smiles. She looks past Bolin to see Korra, Mako, and their new friends.

"Yeah, I'll call you later okay?" Asami sets the fire ferret on the bar.

"Are you good to drive though? You had a few of these." He motions to the empty bottles. "More than a few actually. I could ask Korra to take you back on Naga." Bolin points to the avatar.

Asami shakes her head as she leaves the bar. "I'm fine. I'll call you later."

Bolin waves goodbye.

With heavy steps, Asami walks out into one of Republic City's warm summer nights. She fumbles with her purse, searching for her keys. Leaning back on a wall, she lets out a deep breath and eyes the street. Most of the cars parked before her bare her name. A name she wishes she did not have. She shakes memories of her father out of her head as she stumbles to her car. The street lights seem unusually bright tonight. Just another side effect of the cactus juice.

Asami drives as slow as she possibly can as she makes her way to Republic City's backstreets. There are fewer lights here, fewer cars, fewer people. The street lamps bend and blur as she drives past them. She cannot form coherent thoughts, her mind is a blur. She wanted to forget everything for one night. She wanted all the memories and worries to melt away. She wanted peace in her mind. This is not exactly how she wanted it happen, but for tonight it will do. She relaxes in the driver's seat, allowing her foot to become heavier on the gas pedal. She is not worried.

Just as Asami begins to doze off at the wheel, a cat appears in her headlights. She sits up and slams on the breaks, doing her best to steer clear of the cat. Her car comes to a screeching halt on the sidewalk, hitting one of the few lamp posts on this street. Asami exhales and bangs her head on the steering wheel. She stumbles out of the car and looks around for the cat, but cannot find one. Was the cactus juice playing tricks with her mind again? Slowly making her way to the front of the car, Asami inspects the damage. Satomobiles are built to last, she knows she will not find much damage. She would be able to drive back to the mansion, the place she once called home.

"Got some car troubles there miss?" A gruff voice calls out behind her.

Four men come out of the shadows with mischievous grins on their faces.

"No, I'm fine. I got it." Asami mumbles.

"Let us help. Poor thing like you shouldn't be out at night all by herself." Another man adds.

Asami stands motionless. Her judgement clouded by the cactus juice. She could use a good fight tonight. She has nothing more to lose.

"I said no. How stupid do you have to be not to understand that?" Asami's voice is louder than usual.

The men are momentarily dumbfounded. "Looks like we got a sassy mouth on this one boys."

Asami opens her purse to find an equalist glove. She hesitates. Bits of the night she faced her father flash through her intoxicated mind. She tosses her purse aside and turns to face the men. Four blurry silhouettes inch their way closer to her. They begin to twist and bend, blurring the world around them. She shakes her head, trying to shake the juice out of her system.

"Looks like someone's been hittin' the cactus juice pretty hard. We're gonna have fun with this one." The gruff voice laughs.

"I'd like to see you try." Asami does her best not to slur her words.

Asami's mind begins to play tricks on her as the men move closer. The street light shines brighter than the sun, blinding her in the dark.

"Hey!" A familiar voice calls out, echoing through the street. "Do we have a problem here?"

The silhouettes begin backing away. Asami lowers her head, shielding herself from the stinging brightness of the street lamp.

"No, ma'am. Not here, chief. Just trying to help out this girl is all. We didn't mean nothing bad." One of the men answers, fear in his voice.

Asami begins to lean on her car. The world around her begins to fade as her head begins to throb. Asami allows her body to become heavy as her bottom hits the ground. She does not care what happens to her now.

"Hey, kid! Are you all right?"

Asami looks up to find Chief Lin Beifong towering over her.

"I'm sorry chief. I can pay for whatever damage was done."

"I don't think money can fix this type of damage." She motions to Asami.

"Am I being arrested?" Her words are slow and soft.

Lin holds out a hand and helps Asami to her feet. "No, I'm not chief anymore remember?"

The girl nods. Her posture is unsteady, her feet unsure of where to step next. She struggles to reach over the door of her car to grab her purse.

"I'll call this in and take you home."

"But I did something wrong. I have to,"

"No you don't. Don't worry about this. A few boys down at the station owe me a favor anyway."

Asami finds she is too tired to argue. She allows the former police chief to guide her down the street. She can see Lin's arm around her waist, but she cannot feel the woman at her side. She cannot feel anything. This is what she wanted yet despite the numbness, melancholy still hovers in her thoughts.

Lin sets her down in the passenger seat of her car. Another Satomobile. She feels the urge to crash this car into a pole as well.

"Here, this'll help." Lin tosses a canteen into her lap.

Asami uncaps it and takes it to her mouth, not bothering to question what is inside. Lukewarm bitter liquid hits her tongue. She swallows hard as a shiver runs down her spine

"What is this?" Asami asks eyeing the contents of the canteen.

"Tea I forgot to drink earlier." Lin responds nonchalantly as she drives back to the main streets.

"How is this going to help?"

Lin shrugs.

Asami stares at the former chief for a moment before focusing her attention back to the canteen. She sighs and takes another drink. It might not help, but it will not hurt.

"Thanks." Asami says as she takes another swig.

"I thought you didn't like it?"

Asami shrugs. "I think it's actually working."

She relaxes in the passenger seat. The wind cools her burning cheeks. She closes her eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling, pretending she is being blown away to far off land.

"What were you doing in that alley anyway?"

"I always take the back roads home. Might get a chance to bash some heads."

Asami cocks an eyebrow, a puzzled look on her face.

"No parking near the police station, so I parked back there."

"I thought you said you aren't chief anymore?"

"I'm not. I turned down the job tonight. Apparently, they don't like the new guy. "

"May I ask why?" Asami takes another sip of tea.

"I actually like doing things outside the law. Things get done quicker."

Asami nods.

"What about you? I didn't take you for someone who hangs around back alleys reeking of cactus juice."

The girl shakes her head. "Neither did I."

Lin nods.

"I just wanted to forget for a night. I didn't want to feel so horrible for one night." She buries her head in her hands.

"And that involves getting into fights with thugs?"

Uncertainty washes over Asami's face. "I don't know. I was just frustrated. I am frustrated!" She sighs, calming herself with another drink of tea. "Sorry." Her voice is soft. She has never lost her temper so quickly before.

"I understand. I was your age once. Lost some people. I'm Toph Beifong's daughter, that doesn't come without some pressure to live up to."

The image of the statue of Lin's mother flashes in Asami's mind. She tries to image an eighteen year old Lin looking up at that statue knowing who it was and what it meant.

"But your mother founded the police here."

"And your hair is black, what's your point?"

Asami shakes her head and takes another sip of tea, hoping it will help her intoxicated mind think more clearly. "I mean, she built it. And you are her daughter. So, shouldn't you,"

"Stop, kid. I know what you mean. It's her legacy, not mine. She's fine with it."

The perplexity on Asami's face intensifies. "I thought she was,"

"Ha! No, she's not woman is too stubborn to die."

A grin creeps onto the heiress' face. This is the first time she has seen Lin laugh, let alone smile.

"Is that where you were? When you were gone?"

Lin nods yes. "You noticed?" She asks sarcastically.

"Well, there was one less voice yelling at Korra."

Another smile finds it's way to Lin's face.

"How do you do it? Get out of your parent's shadow?" Asami says mostly to herself as she stares at the city passing her by. "I've got a failing company to run that's been stained by whatever my father did." She continues to mumble to herself. Asami smacks her hand on her forehead. "I have a meeting tomorrow." She lets out an exasperated sigh.

Lin is silent beside her as they pull up to the gates of the Sato mansion. Asami fumbles with the door handle, but stops when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Lin waves a lazy hand over her steering wheel as the gates open.

"I forgot Korra gave you your bending back."

"She didn't."

Asami tilts her head in confusion.

"I went to see my mother to get it back. Wasn't gone, just blocked."

The car stops just before the steps leading in the massive house.

"Anyone home?"

Asami shakes her head no as she clumsily gets out of the car. She is surprised to feel a sturdy hand clutch her arm and keep her steady. She looks down to see Lin's bare feet planted on the ground.

"Do you always drive barefoot?"

"Had to make sure there are no thugs hanging around." Lin's voice is laced with uncertainty.

"Something wrong?"

The chief shakes her head no.

"Well, thanks for the ride Chief Beifong. I mean Miss Beifong? No, that doesn't sound right. I mean not in a bad way," Asami is silenced by Lin's raised hand.

"Just Lin."

"Right, Lin. You'll kind of just always be the chief to me. You're welcome to stay the night if you'd like. It's not like anyone else is here." Asami sighs. "Unless there's someone waiting for you?"

Lin raises an eyebrow.

The heiress shakes her head in embarrassment and makes her way up the stairs. She stumbles and nearly falls. A pillar of stone rises before her and catches her fall.

"Oh spirits, I might as well." Lin whispers to herself as she makes her way up the stairs to help Asami.

"Thanks. Again. You can stay in the… Actually stay in any room you want." Asami's exhaustion manifests in her words. "This is going to hurt in the morning isn't it?"

"You're made of stone, kid. Nothing you can't handle."

Asami wakes face down on her bed. Slivers of sunlight peak through the heavy curtains of her room. She sits up to find she is still dressed in her clothes from the night before. A slight headache and a bit of dizziness plague her, but it is not as bad as she thought it would be. All the little aches and pains of her body are making themselves known. There is a stale bitter taste in her mouth. She groans as she gets up to undress. She finds an old Future Industries shirt and throws it over her head as she makes her way to the bathroom. She has a company meeting today. She has to be reminded of what her father did. She has to come home to an empty house again. Cold water hits her face and wakes her up. She does not care what time it is, she is starting not to care much about the company either.

Asami tosses aside a towel. "I can't not care." She whispers to herself.

She makes her into the main kitchen to find Lin fully dressed, sitting at the counter with a teapot. Pillars of steam dance over two cups of tea.

"Morning." Asami mumbles as she takes a seat opposite of Lin.

The woman nods and slides a cup over to Asami.

"Thanks again for everything."

"Don't mention it. I think I saved those thugs from a beating, they should be thanking me."

Asami smiles.

"Where'd you learn how to fight?"

"My mother was friends with a few Kyoshi warriors. They began teaching me after she passed away. I haven't seen them in years though."Asami fiddles with the bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet her mother gave her.

"Yeah? It shows. My aunt was a Kyoshi warrior."

"Oh?"

Lin nods. "I had a fun childhood."

The women let out small laughs. Asami imagines what it would have been like to grow up with the greatest earth bender in the world as your mother, the avatar as your uncle, and a Kyoshi warrior for an aunt.

"So, you just stopped after they left?"

"Stopped training you mean? Yes, just did what I could on my own."

"I could train you if you want. To use the cables, to fight like an earth bender."

Asami sinks in her chair. "I'm not a bender though."

"Not what I asked, kid."

"I could never be like you." Asami rests her head on the counter.

"No one's asking you to be."

Asami looks up with uncertainty in her eyes. Her own father never said that to her.

Lin tosses her a brown paper bag. "Think about it. Now, get dressed. I'll drop you off."

She sinks into the lavish leather chair. The company is losing more money. More investors have pulled out. People are still thinking Asami is an equalist like her father. She feels they did not need to have a meeting to tell her what she already knew. Her father taught her the basics of how to run Future Industries, but all this is overwhelming. Anger wells up in her chest as she thinks about her father. How he left her to run this company on her own. How he left her to live this live on her own.

Men and women in suits continue to argue as Asami continues to daydream. She can hardly remember the night before, but the short time she spent with Lin that morning replays in her mind. It was the first time in a long while she felt okay. She curses herself for turning down Lin's offer. Of course the chief knows she is not a bender. She has nothing to lose by learning a new style of fighting. It would take her mind off the mess that has become her life. She looks down to see a brown paper bag near her foot. She grabs it and opens it beneath the desk. An apple, a bread roll, and, what Asami assumes is some sort of candy lie at he bottom of the bag. She does her best to contain a grin. Lin made her lunch, or tried to at least. '_Why didn't you say yes!_' She thinks to herself.

Asami rises to her feet. The arguments stop.

"This meeting is over." She says firmly.

"But Miss Sato," One of the men tries to stop her.

"I'm sorry sir, did I stutter? This meeting is over." Asami repeats as she walks out of the room, paper bag in hand.

She walks to an empty office and picks up the phone. She fiddles with her bracelet as she listens to the ringing phone on the other end. Three red gems hang loosely on her wrist, a memory flashes in her mind of her mother.

"Lin Beifong speaking."

"Lin, it's Asami. I'll do it. I'll train with you. When can we start?"

"Great. Meet me in the park outside the city tonight around eight."

"Okay, see you then." Asami hangs up the phone with a smile on her face.

For the first time in a long time she finds herself looking forward to something.

Sitting in the grass beneath a tree, she waits for Lin to arrive. She removes her jacket and neatly folds it. She thinks she should have worn a black tank top instead, the white one she has on is sure to stain. She does not mind. Lin's car parks across the street. Asami stands and throws her jacket to the side.

"Rough day at the office?" Lin greets.

"Just another day at Future Industries." Asami sighs.

"Oh?"

Asami is unsure whether she should continue talking about her day. She does not even tell Bolin about the goings on of the company these days. She does not have the heart to tell the boy Future Industries will not be able to sponsor the Fire Ferrets for much longer.

"Yep, we're going broke because no one wants anything to do with Future Industries, the 'equalist' company."

"They think you're like your father?"

The girl nods. There is silence between them as Lin stands menacingly next Asami. The heiress leans on a the tree and allows her thoughts to run wild.

"Take off your shoes."

"What?"

"Take off your shoes. We're doing this like my mother taught me."

A tinge of fear races up Asami's spine, but she obeys.

"You watch pro-bending right?"

"Used to."

"Forget everything you've seen in the arena. Those guys play, we're going to fight."

"Yes ma'am."

"Avatar Kyoshi was a native earth bender, as I'm sure you know." Lin removes her metal bending top. "So, you know more than you think, kid."

Asami plays with the thought that a stranger can easily mistaken them as mother and daughter.

"Lin, why are you doing this?" Asami asks.

"I have nothing better to do tonight."

"Lin."

"You looked like you could use a friend."

Asami is awestruck. She had never spent much time with the former chief, let alone had a conversation with her. Now, they are friends.

"You don't believe me?" Lin's voice draws Asami out of her head.

"No, I do. I just don't understand why. But, I know better than to question you."

"Smart." Lin throws a punch into Asami's arm

The girl grins as she rubs the spot where the punch landed.

"I'll start off slow. Do everything I do. Try to keep up."

"Take a water break kid." Lin says as they enter her home. Asami has been training with her every night for the past two weeks. She has learned to ignore the aching cries of her muscles and push forward. Each time she trains with Lin, her mind is focused on her movements, her breath, the aches in her body. She plops herself down on Lin's brown leather couch, each sip of cool water feels like the best thing in the world. Lin makes her way to a corridor and enters through one of the doors. Asami's eyes wander. Lin's home is exactly as she thought it would be, yet not at all like she imagined. The floor is made of soft tan colored stone tiles. The walls are painted light grey and compliment the earth tones of her furniture. She eyes the kitchen and notices how everything is accented with metal detailing. Lin has turned her elegant home into her weapon.

The chief walks into the living room holding a tattered old box and tosses it onto the couch beside Asami. "Try it on. It should fit. It was mine when I was your age."

The heiress is frozen. She sets her glass down on the coffee table and lifts the lid on the box. A black metal bending uniform similar to Lin's greets her. An image of a flying boar is etched into the left breastplate. The name 'Beifong' is written beneath it. There are many scratches and nicks decorating the uniform. She holds it up to examine the metal cables resting on a spool attached to its back.

"I don't think I can handle this."

"I do. I wouldn't be giving it to you if I didn't."

Shock floods Asami's face. She is almost certain her mother gave her this uniform. "Lin, I can't take this."

"Yes, you can." Lin walks back into the corridor and enters another door.

"Lin! I can't take this!" Asami shouts as she hears water running from the bathroom.

"Sorry, can't hear you."

"Can't hear me? Or don't want to hear me?"

"Whichever makes you feel better!" Lin shouts from the other room.

Asami can't help but grin as she gives up on trying to bargain with the metal bender. "She really is as stubborn as a rock." She says to herself.

She slinks back into the couch, running her hands over all the little nicks and scratches on the uniform. All the history kept in each scratch and all the stories it could tell her makes her imagination run wild. She cannot help but wonder what Lin was like when she was younger. Her daydreams are interrupted by a ringing phone. She is not sure if she should answer it, but she feels it would be rude to just let it ring.

"Could you get that?" Lin shouts over rushing water.

Asami jumps to her feet and rushes to the phone at a nearby side table.

"Beifong residence, Asami Sato speaking. How may I help you?"

"Oh. Umm... I was not expecting that." A smooth female voice responds on the other line. "I didn't know Lin had a personal assistant."

"Oh, no. I'm not her personal assistant."

"Oh. So, you're Lin's girlfri-"

"No!" Asami exclaims with a mixture of embarrassment and shock. "She's just teaching me how to fight!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to offend or anything. Actually, your name sounds familiar."

Asami's stomach drops. She is expecting the worst, because the worst always happens when someone recognizes her name.

"Oh well. I'm Sanya, Lin's niece. Sort of."

"How exactly can you be her 'sort of' niece?" Asami asks with mock suspicion.

"Well her mom, my gran, and my grumps grew up together. Her mom was always Aunt Toph to me."

"Grumps?"

"Oh, grandfather. Sorry." Sanya apologizes with a giggle.

"That must have been fun." Asami jokes.

"It was definitely not boring." Sanya laughs.

Asami can't help but grin as she thinks about Lin's family. She imagines Lin playing with this Sanya as she was a child.

"Hello?"

"I'm here, sorry. You said your grandparents and her mother are close?"

"Were."

"Oh. I am so sorry."

"It's all right! This whole conversation will end up with us apologizing to each other the whole time!"

They both giggle.

"I take it you didn't call to talk to me though."

"And you're right. Smart girl. If I didn't have news I think I might like to just sit here and talk to you."

Silence on both ends. Asami does not know what to say. She feels like she might want the same.

"Umm... Right, the news. From her mother." Sanya stops speaking. There are muffled voices in the background. "Excuse me." Sanya's voice becomes distant.""Right, okay." Asami hears her say. "Sorry- I was right. We would spend the whole conversation apologizing."

Asami giggles. She turns to hear the shower stops running.

"Actually, Lin was just in the bathroom. She'll be out soon if you don't mind waiting."

"Okay, that's fine. I take it you'll be keeping me company until then?"

Asami tries to bite back a smile. "Sure."

"And to answer your question earlier, yes they were super close."

The heiress takes a moment to recall her question.

"You want to ask who my grandparents were don't you?" Sanya jokes.

"I do, but I won't. Lin's out now."

"I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. But, it has been a pleasure talking to you Miss Asami Sato.

"Please, just Asami. It was nice talking to you too. Hope we can talk again." Asami says before covering the receiving end of the phone.

She knows she would probably never talk to this Sanya again, but the thought made her smile. She stands by the table and waits for Lin to walk over. Her hair is still wet from her shower but she is fully dressed.

"It's for you. I mean, of course it's for you. It's your niece."

Lin nods and takes the phone. "Sanya?"

Asami moves back to the couch and fiddles with her bracelet again. She does her best not to eavesdrop on Lin's conversation. She lets out a sigh, she manages to make a friend she will never talk to again.

"All right. Tell my mother I'll leave as soon as I can." Lin hangs up.

Asami sits up, unsure what to do next. Lin casually makes her way to the kitchen and returns eating an apple. She tosses one to Asami.

"There's trouble in Ba Sing Se." Lin breaks the silence. "The equalist movement made it there and they're stirring up some trouble. My mother is doing the best she can to keep them contained, but it keeps getting worse."

"But Amon is dead, how can it be that bad?"

"They saw him as some sort of martyr. There's reason to believe they have a new leader."

Asami's mind races. Could her father be involved? Would they know what happened to him?

"I'll be leaving soon."

"I want to go with you." Asami blurts out.

Lin is silent, keeping her eyes on the heiress.

"Give me a couple days to get things sorted at with the company. I'll drive us to Ba Sing Se if you want,"

Lin silences her with a hand. "We'll take a train."

"Aren't you going to ask why I want to go or try to convince me to stay?"

"Nope." The woman gets to her feet and continues to the other end of the couch where she sits.

Asami sits back, tosses the apple in her hands. She would be leaving Republic City for the first time in her life. She would be in a new city, with new people.

"Lin, can I use your phone?"

The woman nods yes.

Asami dials the number to her office, her secretary answers . "This is Miss Sato. I will be leaving Republic City for a while. I will be in Ba Sing Se to check on the factory we have there. Make sure everyone knows. Thank you, that is all." She hangs up.

She thinks to call Air Temple Island to tell Bolin, but she fears either Korra or Mako will answer. She inhales and dials the number, holding her breath with each ring.

"Air Temple Island, Tenzin speaking." A strong male voice answers after a few rings.

Asami exhales. "Hi Tenzin, it's Asami. Would be all right if I talk to Bolin?"

"Of course. One moment please."

She can hear people muttering through the phone and children shrieking.

"Asami! What's going on?" Bolin's voice laced with genuine happiness.

"Hey, Bo. Umm… I'm going away for a while."

"What!"

"Yeah, I'll be leaving in a few days for Ba Sing Se."

Silence. She didn't want to hurt the boy anymore, he's been through enough.

"I'm sorry, Bo. But, I have to go."

"When are you coming back?" His disappointment carries over through the phone.

"I don't know, but I promise I'll call you all the time."

"Okay, but why do you have to leave?"

"I just have to." She feels sadness filling her. She did not think he would take it this hard.

"Okay."

"Hey, I'll bring you back something okay? Now, let me say bye to Pabu." She adds hoping to brighten his mood.

"He'll miss you more than I will!"

She hears soft squeaks and chittering. "I'll miss you too Pabu. I'll bring you back something too."

The chittering stops.

"Bo, no one's living at the mansion. If you an Mako want to watch over it while I'm,"

"We'd love to!" Bolin interrupts with noticeable excitement.

Asami couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, thanks Bo. I'll drop off the keys soon. Try not to throw too many crazy parties."

"Me? Throw a crazy party? I would never think of such a thing! So, thank you for giving me the idea!"

They both laugh.

"I'd tell you to take care of yourself, but I'd be more worried about whoever makes you mad." Bolin jokes.

She giggles again. "Okay, Bo. I'll see you when I get back. Take care."

"Bye Asami. Remember, you're still part of team avatar!"

She hangs up slowly and falls back on the wall next to her. She is really leaving Republic City. Fear and excitement become indistinguishable in her mind.

"Everything okay?" Lin pulls her out of her thoughts again.

She nods slowly, her mouth slowly curling into a grin. "We're going to Ba Sing Se."


	2. Chapter 2

Asami spent the entire train ride to Ba Sing Se reading history books, sketching in her notebook, and listening to Lin's occasional bursts of socializing. In yet another Satomobile, Lin drives through the wide streets of Ba Sing Se. Asami's eyes widen in wonder. She thought Republic City was large, it seems like a village compared to this city. The upper ring of the city housed beautifully made stone buildings. Each structure is beautifully accented with green stones. The city scape does not over power the soft brilliance of the night sky, but compliments it. Finely dressed citizens lazily walk along the sidewalk, occasionally walking to a shop or stopping for a late night snack. She has never seen a city with such cohesion, a stark contrast to the conglomerate that is Republic City.

"You sure you don't want to drive?" Lin asks

Asami nods her head yes. Since that night in the alley way she has lost her love of driving. Something she did not think was possible.

"I can have Sanya show you around tomorrow if you want." Lin says over the chatter of the city.

Asami sits up, her attention fully on Lin. "Sanya's here?"

"Of course she is."

The heiress contains a grin.

"You two are the same age, you should get along."

Asami nods. She is unusually anxious. She is meeting a living legend and a possible new friend. Lin drives out of the main city and into a quiet suburb. The homes are beautifully constructed. Each unique, yet fitting perfectly with one another. Like the buildings in the main city, the homes are accented with emerald stones. Lush green lawns adorn each home. The ca makes a sudden stop.

"What's wrong?" Asami asks.

"Movement, over there. People moving like they don't want to be seen." Lin answers as she gets out of the car.

Asami is quick to follow. She leaves her purse and jacket behind. If these people are equalists, she did not want to bring her glove along. She crouches low to the ground as she follows Lin across the street and between houses. She had a feeling a big city like this was not as perfect as it seems. Lin stops with her back to a wall, keeping her eyes on the figures around the corner. Asami stays low, kneeling on the ground. Three figures move through the darkness. Two people flank another. The middle, whose hands are bound at their back, has something over their head.

She looks up at the other woman."What's the plan?"

Lin's face is determined. "Go in. Let them go. Get out."

The heiress can feel her nerves on edge, but she nods in agreement. "Of all the nights to wear this skirt." She mumbles to herself.

The figures open a stone door on the ground behind one of the houses and shove their prisoner down into the darkness. They follow and close the door.

"All right, kid. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Lin quickly makes her way to the door, the heiress at her heels. She bends the door open and walks down the stairs. Asami's eye adjust to the darkness fairly quickly. She breathes in slowly, not wanting to inhale too much dust. The musty smell of earth fills her nostrils. To her left is a long corridor leading to a door. Beside her, Lin firmly plants a barefoot on the dusty floor.

"There are eight people down here. Three of them I know, so that makes five people who probably want to hurt us. I'll take care of them. You try and find whoever they're holding. Go the opposite direction I go. Understood?" Lin whispers.

She nods.

They sprint to the door. Lin kicks it down. Two people in equalist masks greet them. In one fluid movement Lin knocks one unconscious with a swift foot to the mouth. Asami slides beneath the kicking leg of the other. She grabs the other and slams an equalist skull into the ground.

"You're a fast learner. See you up top." Lin says as she runs into another corridor.

Asami looks down the corridor before her. Small lights hang from the ceiling, giving the corridor and eerie yellow glow. The walls are lined with cells. She looks back, past the bodies on the ground. There is a small table and three chairs against the wall. A ring of keys and a triangular leather case lies on the table. She takes both.

She never did like being underground. Too many secrets are held below the surface. She is not too fond of secrets these days. The first two cells on her right are empty. She makes her way to the second cell on the left. She unlocks it and helps a man to his feet. His face is bloody is bruised but he is able to stand.

"Can you walk?"

He nods his head yes.

"You can go, I'll free the others."

He leaves and mouths thank you.

The next cell holds a woman, not much older than Asami.

"Who are you?" The woman asks as she clings to the bars.

Asami looks into her grey eyes. Wisps of brown hair stick to her face. Blood has crusted on the corner of her mouth, surrounded by a fresh bruise. She wears a dress like the civilians back in the city.

"I've come to help."

The woman opens her mouth as is to say something, but closes it and walks out as soon as Asami opens the cell.

"Thank you." She says as she joins the man down the corridor.

Asami makes her way. To the very last cell. A woman sits by the back wall, hands bound at her back and her head covered with a burlap sack. She is the person they watched earlier that night. Asami looks for a moment, the sound of things crashing and bodies thumping echo throughout the underground prison. She quickly open the cell and makes her way to the figure. Her long legs are sprawled out before her, covered in dark leather pants and knee high boots to match.

"I'm not one of them, I'm here to help."

"What?" Her voice is muffled through the sack.

Asami fumbles with the knot. The captive's bare arms are bruised as her muscles strain against the rope. Her forearms are covered by some sort of white sleeve, they are not thick enough to protect her wrists from injury.

"Ouch." The woman exclaims.

"Sorry."

"Do I know you?" The woman asks. "You sound familiar."

Asami lets out a snicker. "I really don't think you do."

"My boomerang. They have it. Do you you can use that to,"

"Boomerang?" Asami whispers mostly to herself.

She takes the triangular leather case and opens it. A boomerang. She takes it and uses it to cut through the rope.

"Thanks!" The woman says as she stands.

Her voice is familiar. She is a few inches taller than Asami. She removes the burlap sack from her head to reveal long black hair. She wears a sleeveless dark blue top. There are tears near her rib cage and down her back. As she turns, Asami can see the middle portion of her hair is pure white. She has pulled it back and tied it, leaving the rest of her hair to frame her face.

"I really appreciate it. I'd love to stay and chat, but I think we should go." A small smile forms on her face.

Asami hands her the boomerang.

"Oh boomerang, you do always come back." She sheaths it and fastens it to her back.

"Right, Lin should be outside by now."

"Wait, you came with Lin?" She stops just outside the cell.

Asami nods.

"Miss Asami Sato?" The woman says with some uncertainty.

Asami tilts her head in confusion. She knew the voice was familiar. She nods yes.

"Sanya!" She points to her chest.

Asami couldn't help but laugh.

"This is not exactly how I imagined meeting you." Sanya utters nervously as she holds out her hand.

Asami takes it and shakes it with mock formality. The girl's demeanor shifts almost instantly, her confidence sinks as Asami shakes her hand. The heiress can feel giggles sprouting from her chest, but she does her best to suppress them as she hides her face in her free hand.

"I'm glad you two are getting along just beautifully, but unfortunately we this visit is over!" Lin screams from the far end of the cell block.

"After you." Sanya moves aside to let Asami through.

She runs down the cell block, expecting to see Lin and the others waiting by the entrance. Instead, three more equalist masks block her exit. She turns expecting to see Sanya right behind her, but the other girl is still by the far end of the cell block. She stand near what Asami thinks is a bucket.

"Duck!" Sanya shouts.

Asami does not hesitate and drops to the floor. Her right arm hits something sharp. A whimper of pain escapes her mouth, but the pain is bearable. She sees Sanya kick the bucket and bend the water into ice. Moving like water, she stops just short of Asami and extends her hands. The men scream. There is loud thud. Bits of dirt fall on Asami.

"Are you all right?" Sanya asks helping the heiress to her feet.

"I'm fine, thanks. I didn't know you were a water bender." She blurts out.

"I didn't know you were so pretty." Sanya mutters beneath her breath.

The water bender realizes her words were said a little too loudly. Asami contains another grin, blood rushes to her face. Sanya runs past her, keeping her gaze on the ground.

"Come on ladies!" Lin's voice echoes from the entrance.

Asami follows Sanya through the corridor and up the stairs. She is glad to breathe in fresh air again.

Lin and the others stand near a home across the lawn of the entrance.

"More are sure to come to check up on these fools." Lin says.

"I can take Chan home." The woman in the dress says.

Asami can see her face more clearly out in the open. Her sharp features are dulled by bruises. There is a fresh cut above almond shaped eyes. She holds the man by his waist as he struggles to breathe.

"Thanks Mai. I'll take these two home. Come by tomorrow, we'll talk about this with my mother." Lin says.

Mai turns to Asami. "Thank you."

"Of course."

"Sanya, are you all right?"

Asami turns to find the water bender standing a few feet behind her. Moonlight illuminates the streak of white hair running down a sea of black. Her large blue eyes dart from Asami to Lin to a point just beyond Lin.

"I'm fine. Just a bit bruised up." She says in a daze before whistling.

Asami's confusion cannot be masked. Lin does not seem phased. Before Asami can ask a large white wolf comes bounding out of a near by bush. She is momentarily frozen with fear, but the fear soon diminishes as the wolf falls at Sanya's feet. The water bender smiles and falls to her knees to pet the wolf.

"You were with Jet when they took you?"

Sanya nods as she gets to her feet.

"You can tell me about it later. Come on girls." She motions to the car. "Mai." A nod of acknowledgement. "Chan." Another nod.

Asami follows Lin to the car. Fur brushes up against her right hand. She looks down to find the wolf, Jet, walking beside her. He sniffs her hand before pushing his head into her hands. She could not help put pet the large canine.

"He doesn't usually do that with strangers." Sanya says coming up on Asami's left.

"He must like me."

"He is an excellent judge of character." The water bender says with a shy smile.

Asami giggles as the reach the car. Jet bolts from beneath her hand and jumps into the passenger seat.

"I am not driving with him in the front seat." Lin protests.

"He made up his mind! Who am I to dictate his life?" Sanya jokes.

Asami suppresses her laugh as she jumps into the backseat behind Lin. Sanya follows.

Lin drives down the dark street with Jet beside her. The wolf lies his head on her lap. The metal bender does not seem to mind as she scratches behind his ear. The sight makes Asami more comfortable, yet more anxious all at once. She will be an outsider in this family, just like she was in Republic City.

"You're hurt." Sanya pulls Asami out of her thoughts.

"How bad is it?" Lin calls from the front seat.

"Oh, it's just a cut. It's nothing." Asami eyes her right arm.

Lin tosses a canteen over her shoulder.

Sanya catches it.

"I don't think tea will help this time." Asami jokes.

"It's water, to clean it off." Lin answers.

"May I?" Sanya's asks trying to avoid Asami's gaze.

The heiress stares into sapphire orbs illuminated by the light of the full moon. There is genuine innocence in her eyes, but Asami knows Sanya is not a child. She gives Sanya her arm.

"Pretty bracelet."

"Thanks, my mom gave it to me." Asami notices a small pendent fall out of Sanya's shirt, a crescent moon made of pearl.

"I like your necklace."

"Thanks, Aunt Katara gave it to me." She looks down at her pendent.

She expects the other girl to bend water out of the canteen and heal her wound. Sanya exhales when she takes Asami's arm, her mouth almost curving into a frown. Her hands are cold, but gentle. She pours water over the wound, washing away blood and dirt. Her gentle hands wipe away access water. She cannot understand why the water bender did not heal her wound. Sanya pulls out a small box from a pocket on her boomerang sling.

"Couldn't you just heal it, like other water benders do?" Asami inquires.

"I could, but I'm not like other water benders." Sanya grins. "Plus, you wouldn't be able to wear one of these!" She pulls out bandages, one with small flying bisons drawn on them and winged lemurs on the other.

Asami giggles at the other girl's playfulness. "I'll take the bisons."

Sanya unrolls the bandage and lightly wraps it around Asami's arm. "There you go. All done."

"Thanks." Asami snickers at all the little sky bisons seemingly flying around her arm. "Do you always keep bandages with you?"

"Well, usually. I can be a bit clumsy when Jet's around. He loves to run around my legs you see."

The wolf perks up at the sound of his name. He rises from Lin's lap and rests his head on the seat facing Sanya.

"I didn't think there were any wolves in this part of the world."

"There aren't. Grumps found him as a pup while visiting the South Pole. Brought him back, and Jet's been by my side ever since."

The heiress smiles at the mention of Sanya's grandfather. There is a light in the girl's eyes each time she speaks of her grandparents. A light soon followed by gloom. Though, she cannot help but wonder why the girl never speaks of her parents.

"How are things in Republic City? I haven't been there since I was kid."

"Well, the avatar trashed the city." Lin says half jokingly.

Asami giggles.

"How long will you be staying with us?" Sanya asks looking up a full moon.

"I don't know." Asami furrows her brow, thinking of when she would eventually have to return to Republic City. "Lin, how long am I staying?"

"As long as you want, kid."

The heiress notices a grin on Sanya's face. She tries to hide it.

"What about you auntie?" The water bender teases.

The heiress grins. The woman all of Republic City knew as "The Chief" is simply "auntie" to the girl beside her.

"As long as I can handle my mother."

"Don't let her scare you, Aunt Toph is great."

"She sounds great."

"She'll love you. I know she will." Sanya flashes an innocent smile, a red hue growing in her cheeks.

Lin drives past another row of houses into an open clearing. In the distance, Asami can see a large home. A small lake beside shimmers in the dark.

"Aunt Toph and Aunt Katara literally made that lake." Sanya leans in says softly to Asami. "Grumps helped too."

"Uncle Sokka 'supervised.' I don't think that counts." Lin adds.

Sanya shrugs. "He likes to think he helped."

Asami snickers. The warmth and closeness of this family radiates. She cannot help but smile.

"But, he did help with the house. Sort of."

"He did all the design stuff. Things my mother couldn't care less about." Lin adds. "My mother built this from the ground up. Literally."

"That's amazing. It's beautiful."

The home becomes bigger as they get closer. Stone pillars rise to greet them in an outdoor foyer. The polished tan stone matches the color of those she saw in the city. A lush green lawn surrounds the house to the lake. From what she can see in the dark, a variety of flowers and trees surround the lake. Large boulders adorn the lawn. Black and silver accents decorate the front of the home. A dark emerald roof tops the stone house. As they near the home, Asami notices the image of a flying boar etched into the stone roof of the foyer, accented with black marble. Lin's mother has made her home her weapon as well.

"She lives here alone?" Asami accidentally says out loud.

"No, I'm here. And so is Pebble." Sanya replies.

"Pebble?"

"Well, his name is Li, but we've always called him Pebble. You'll meet him."

Lin parks the car beneath the foyer. Jet jumps out and runs to the large steel doors. Sanya steps out of the car and stands nervously beside it. The double steel doors open, a large bald man steps out. An apron two sizes too small hangs from his neck, straining across his heavily muscled chest. Large muscular arms nearly lift the wolf off its feet as he greets it.

"Lin! You're back. Don't tell me you've lost your bending again?" His deep voice is laced with joy.

"Not this time. I brought a friend."

Asami stands near the front of the car, waving and smiling.

"Miss Sato, welcome. As you can see, we're a fan of your work." Pebble gestures to the car.

"What?" Sanya's confusion manifests as she drops the bags she takes from the car's trunk.

"She makes Satomobiles. I thought you'd be smart enough to figure that out."

"I thought it was a common name, you know, like Li."

"Hey!" Pebble yells with a grin from the door.

"And be careful with those." Lin adds

"Right, sorry. I'm sorry. I'll just take these in." She takes as many bags as she can and rushes through the doors, avoiding eye contact with Asami.

The heiress frowns.

"I can handle the rest of the bags. Lin, your mother is in the living room."

"Come on, kid." Lin motions for Asami to follow.

"Thank you." Asami says softly as she passes by Peebles.

She walks through the doors into a large dimly lit hexagonal greeting room. Her bags and one of Lin's suitcases wait near a dark corridor. She follows Lin to the left into a large living area. Like the previous room, it is dimly lit. There is not much need for light when one is blind. Two large emerald green couches sit against the wall. A stone table sits at the center of the room, metal legs holding it up. The golden curtains are drawn back to reveal the boulders in the lawn. Sitting on one of the large couches was a short old woman. Her hair tied back into a large bun, lon bangs cover most of her face. Her feet rest on the stone table as she sips her tea. Asami had only seen her in photos wearing a metal bending uniform, but tonight she wears loose green and yellow pajamas. She turns toward Asami and plants her feet on the ground.

Lin stops just before the table and crosses her arms. Asami stands beside her.

"You brought a friend?" She asks her daughter. "Who is she? She feels like you."

Asami and Lin shoot each other a look, they are both standing with one hip cocked to the side. Asami moves forward to introduce herself while Lin moves to close the curtains.

"I'm Asami Sato. It's a pleasure to meet you Sifu Beifong."

"You never called me Sifu Beifong." Lin mutters in the corner.

"Because you're not me!" The older woman laughs. "Just Toph, kiddo." She sends a punch into the girl's arm. "That's how we show affection."

Asami cannot help but snicker as she raises an eyebrow at Lin.

The woman shrugs, a slight grin begins to form on her face.

"Lin's told me about you, said you're quite the fighter."

"I try. She's been teaching me to fight like her, err, like you."

"Aunt Toph," Sanya calls from the other side of the room, Pebble right beside her. "Sorry to interrupt, but where will Asami be staying?"

"Whichever room isn't occupied. The one across from yours is empty right?"

Sanya nods. Her eyes meet with Asami's. She smiles before looking away. Pebble gentle pats the girl's shoulder before walking away.

"Actually, now would be a good time to tell us what happened." Lin says over a cup of tea.

Asami's eyes go from Lin to her mother. If Toph's eyes were not glazed over with blindness, they would have the same eye color. They both slouch into the couch, throwing aside formalities.

"Got in trouble again kid?" Toph asks without a grain of anger in her voice.

Sanya walks forward wringing her hands. She keeps her head down, but Asami can see embarrassment coloring her face. She stops a few steps to the right.

"I was out for a walk with Jet," The wolf bounds into the room and settles in beside Toph. "And you know I wasn't looking for trouble because I had my boomerang with me and not my jacket!" She adds.

Asami moves to the side and stands beside Lin. The metal bender motions for her to sit down, she obeys.

"I saw a couple of guys take a lady's purse. So, I followed them. I didn't know it was a trap. They took me down. I made Jet run for it. I didn't know they had Mai and Chan too."

Sanya's eyes drop. She nervously scratches her bicep. Toph sits silently, as does her daughter.

"I know you better than that. Three guys? That's not enough to take you down." Toph points to Sanya.

"I thought if they took me to wherever, I could find out what they were up to. But they had those glove things again."

Asami swallows hard. She remembers the equalist glove still in her purse. Guilt momentarily fills her as she begins to wring her hands as well.

"It didn't hit me, but I got hit enough to make me pretty useless."

"And Miss Sato here helped get you out?"

Sanya nods yes. Her face burning red as she looks to Asami. She quickly looks away.

"Lin told me there was something special about you. I'm surprised she's actually right."

"Mother." Lin buries her head in her hand.

"I'm kidding, but she was right kid."

The heiress grins. "Thank you." She says to both Beifong women.

"Linnora, it's getting worse." Toph turns her head to face her daughter. "Sanya, show Asami to her room."

The water bender waits for Asami to get to her feet. "Come on Jet." She motions to the wolf.

As they make their way out, they can hear the conversation between mother and daughter.

"What exactly is getting worse, her recklessness or the equalists?" Lin asks quite loudly.

Sanya's scratching becomes more intense. The red in her face intensifies.

"Lin! Leave her alone. We've got bigger things to worry about."

Sanya keeps her head down as she walks though the greeting area. Her bags near the corridor are gone. Sanya is silent as they walk through a dark corridor. Asami wanted to say something to comfort the girl, but she cannot think of a single thing to say. She looks over to see reddened skin on the girl's bicep. She puts her hand over the bandage on her arm.

"Sorry, for acting weird. I didn't know you were THE Asami Sato." Sanya breaks the silence. "What a way to introduce myself."

"It's all right. I'm just another girl." She says with her head down. "Think of it this way, I'll always remember how we met." Asami tries to make the girl smile.

Sanya stops before the last door on the right and shoots Asami a grin before opening it. "This your room." She says as she steps in to switch on the lights. The wolf walks in and lies down on the lush white carpet between the door and the bed. "You get a view of the lake." She forces a smile but keeps her eyes down.

Asami walks into the room. A large bed covered in dark green sheets sits against the wall. It is sparsely furnished beyond the bed the night stand beside it. A large armoire looms in the right corner of the room, her bags sit beside it. The curtains are drawn back to reveal a picturesque view of the manmade lake.

"The bathroom is next door, there's another one by the kitchen. I'm across the hall, Pebble is next to me. Aunt Toph's got the biggest room next to the bathroom and auntie's is across from that. So, make yourself at home." Sanya leans on the doorway.

"Thanks."

"Umm, I should be saying that to you. Thanks for getting me out of there earlier."

"Oh, yeah. It's no problem."

"I think you should have this, you know, for your cut and all." Sanya tosses a roll of bandages to Asami.

The heiress catches it with a giggle. "Thanks."

"I'll let you rest. Jet, let's go."

The wolf looks up and scurries out of the room.

"He really likes you."

She smiles turns and walks to the bed.

"Good night." Sanya makes her way out and closes the door.

"Night." Asami sighs as she falls into the bed.

She plays with the roll of bandages in her hand. Sighing, she sets it on the might stand and begins to unpack. Her first night in Ba Sing Se has worn her out. She wonders what tomorrow will bring.

Asami spent the morning training in the home's incredibly spacious backyard. Sanya and Jet sit by the water and watches, the water bender occasionally sending the heiress a smile. She catches her breath, watching Lin rearrange the blocks of earth that have become her training dummies. She has gotten used to using Lin's old metal bending cables. Before Lin can utter a word of instruction, her mother interrupts.

"Something wrong, mother?"

"Something's always wrong. What are you two doing?" She asks.

Asami steps back allows the mother and daughter to speak. She notices the earth bending legend is barefoot as she steps outside.

"Mind if I take over?"

"Can you handle it?"

"I taught you didn't I? No problem." Toph waves her daughter away.

Lin shrugs.

"Don't give me that look."

"I wasn't giving you a look!"

"You are now." Toph laughs.

Asami couldn't help but snicker.

"All right, kiddo. First off, take off your shoes."

Asami obeys. She tosses her boots aside and tightens her ponytail. She looks up to find a pillar of stone rushing toward her. She jumps to the side, allowing it to pass. Releasing one of the cables in her right hand, she wraps it around the pillar. It falls to the ground.

"Not bad, kiddo, not bad. You'd make a great Kyoshi warrior. But, you can be something better than that."

"Be like you?"

"Be like you."

Asami is surprised by the older woman's answer.

"Stand your ground. It attacks you, you attack it. Got that?"

The heiress agrees.

"My style might be a bit outdated, but it get's things done." Toph stomps one foot into the ground.

A mountain of earth and stone rise from the ground. Sanya and Jet topple over from the shaking earth beneath them. Asami watches in awe as the master earth bender casually walks to the newly formed mountain and with one swift punch. Smaller rocks form a circle around the women.

Toph steps out. "Stay in the circle."

The hot ground burns Asami's feet, but she grits her teeth and digs her heels in harder. Out of the corner of her eyes can see Sanya watching her. The ground beneath her shoot up, nearly knocking her over. She jumps off the newly forming tower of stone and releases her cables. She hardly makes a dent. Before her feet can touch the ground, another tower of stone rushes toward her. Chunks of earth fly toward her. She twists and turn, defending and attacking. The master earth bender stands a few yards away, arms crossed over her chest. She doesn't blink as she sends earth and stone to attack the girl in the circle. The barrage of attacks is relentless. She does her best to stay in the circle, but exhaustion and inexperience knock her several feet out of the circle. Toph stops her attack. Asami stands breathless outside the circle. She keeps her eye on Toph, not knowing what to expect.

"Okay. Not bad, you can do better." Her voice is indifferent.

Lin walks out and motions to her mother. "Mai and Chan are here."

Toph nods and makes her into the house.

"Take a break, kid." Lin says to Asami. "Sanya," She yells in the direction of the lake. "You okay?"

The water bender gives a thumbs up.

Lin follows her mother back into the house. Asami makes her way to the lake, wiping dirt and sweat off her face. Sanya sits in the shade of a tree, long white tendrils of flowers sway gently in the the breeze. She wears a white tank top and loose black pants, the heiress couldn't help but smile as she thinks Lin's sense of style has rubbed off on her. Her hair is untied, white streak framing her face and matching her arm sleeves. Sanya throws her boomerang and Jet runs off to try and catch it before it the water bender turns, Asami notices black markings on shoulders. These markings can be seen through her white tank top, joining with others to form an elaborate tattoo on her back.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Asami smiles.

"It's been reserved for you." Sanya jokes.

Asami takes a seat in the grass beneath the tree.

Sanya hands her a glass of water. "I thought you might be thirsty." She waves a finger over the glass, freezing blocks of it before Asami's eyes.

"Thanks."

The wolf returns, boomerang in its mouth. Jet plops down beside Sanya and releases the boomerang.

"Does it hurt him when he catches that?"

"Not at all. I thought it would, but he seems to be fine. Though, I think grumps would be a bit mad that I use this as toy."

"It was your grandfather's?"

Sanya nods. "He wasn't a bender. According to him he took out a few badies with this thing." Sanya holds up the boomerang.

"I read about him and your grandmother too."

Sanya raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't want to come here not knowing anything about anyone."

Sanya giggles. "You could have just asked."

Asami bites down on the glass, cold water hitting her lips. She wants to ask about the girl's parents, but she knows how painful it can be to talk about your parents.

"I've been dying to ask, how did you get your hair to do that?" She asks instead, her face reddening with embarrassment.

Sanay's giggles turn into laughs. She moves hair out of her face. "I was actually born with a full head of black hair. Gran tells me the white started coming in when I was around two or three."

"You were raised by your grandparents?"

"Yes ma'am. Up until I was eight. Aunt Toph retired then and moved out of Republic City, so I came with her."

Asami lowers her gaze. "You were eight when they," She says in nearly a whisper.

There is a brief moment of silence. The heiress wants nothing more than to reach out and hug Sanya.

"Yeah, but that was ten years ago. I've done my grieving. And Aunt Toph is great." Sanya breaks the silence.

"You never really stop missing them though." Asami adds staring at her bare feet in the grass.

From the corner of her eye she can see Sanya reach out, trying to touch her. She stops short and pulls back.

"I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot, what with your dad and all."

The heiress forces a smile. She brings her knees up to her chin and hugs her legs. She can't help but think about her parents. Memories sneak up on her, along with the emotions they carry with them.

She looks up to find a ribbon of water dancing before her. It collapses into a pile before forming into a flower and freezing. She bites back a grin, but the urge is too strong.

"Err, no wait. Flowers are too cliche. Unless you like flowers?"

"I love flowers. Thank you." She shoots Sanya a grin.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The girls sit in silence for a moment. Asami feels as though the gentle breeze has swept away her memories. The flower before her begins to melt.

"That's the thing about ice. It'll break and melt." She bends the flower into a pile of ice chunks then into a puddle of water. "But it's never lost. You can make something new." She bends the water into a gem similar to those on Asami's bracelets. "Kinda like a rock. I guess it's just harder to do with a rock."

The heiress looks at Sanya through the icy gem. She cannot help but smile. The water bender tries to bite back a grin. She turns away when the grin overpowers her.

"I know I already apologized, but-"

Asami hold up a hand. "Really, it's fine. I'm used to people being a bit weird when they find out who I am."

"I'll try to be less weird."

The girls laugh.

"You must be hungry. I'll make you lunch. Err, I'll help Pebble make you lunch." Sanya rises and holds out her hand.

Asami takes it and gets to her feet, dusting herself off.

They walk side by side into the house, perfectly content in their silence. Jet runs between their legs and eagerly runs to the kitchen. As the girls walk by through the living room they overhear the Beifong women arguing.

"Mother, I don't think that's possible."

"She's special Lin. You know it. I know it. If it can be taken, why can't it be given?"

"And how exactly do you plan on getting this done? This something completely different from unblocking it."

"I don't know. Just give me a chance to think about it."

"It can't be done mom."

"Would you please, have an open mind."

Lin is silent. She looks up at the girls standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. Asami does not think much of the argument.

"I raised you better than that, Lin. If you're gonna talk about someone, talk about them in their face."

"We'll talk about it some other time."

There is silence. Lin turns away and stares out a window. Toph glares at her daughter. Asami stands near the doorway, unsure of what to say or do.

"I guess you could say Aunt Toph and auntie have a… Rocky relationship right now." Sanya laughs.

Lin and her mother smack their palms into their heads. Asami giggles while hiding behind her hand.

"Oh, forget you all. I'm hilarious!" Sanya throws her hands over her head and walks out of the room.

"That child really is Sokka's granddaughter." Toph mutters through a grin.

Asami watches Lin suppress her laughter and her mother teasing her. She then turns to see Sanya smiling at her from behind the kitchen counter. She cannot remember the last time she laughed like this.

Asami put out off the visit to the Ba Sing Se factory for nearly a week. This morning's visit did not bring much good news. Things may be better for the company here, the difference is so slight it is hardly noticed. She does her best to forget by walking through crowds. She hopes to lose herself in the crowd. Perhaps then her problems cannot find her.

"Hey kiddo, you look lost."

Asami is surprised to find Toph walking next to her. "I guess I am." She says with downcast eyes.

"Come on, you look like you need a good cup of tea."

She does not resist as the older woman takes her by the arm and drags her through the crowd. People stop and praise Toph, she merely smiles and continues on her way. She drags Asami into The Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop_. _Toph releases her arm and sits at a table near the door. Asami takes a moment to admire the beauty of the shop. Antique rugs adorned with dragons cover the floor, matching tapestries line the walls. Despite the busyness of the tea shop, Toph is served right away.

"The usual Sifu Beifong?" A young male waiter asks.

"Yep, and some sweet rolls." She answers.

"Why did you come here?"

"Err, you dragged me here." Asami answers with confusion.

"I meant to Ba Sing Se."

The girl takes a moment to think. To run away. To forget. To get away from the stain of Republic City.

"I don't know. To visit the factory, I guess." The girl answers slowly.

Toph is silent. Asami drowns out the chattering of the busy shop. Her thoughts are a mess.

"I wanted to get away from everything in Republic City. Everything reminds me of my father, of everything I lost. I wanted to forget."

The earth bender nods. "Maybe, forgetting is the best thing to do here."

The waiter sets a pot of tea, two cups and a plate of sweet rolls on the table. The women are silent as he leaves.

"Lin told me about your father." Toph takes a sip of tea. "They think you're like him?"

Asami nods. "They could be right. I'm his daughter. He even asked me to join him. What if I do end up like him?"

"You know, people assumed Linnora would be exactly like me. You can see she's not. I never expected her to grow up to be just like me, I never wanted her to. I know what it's like to be something other than what your parents want you to be. She's Lin, but she doesn't have to be a Beifong. That's her choice. Like you, you're Asami, but you don't have to be a Sato."

Asami allows the words to sink in. She stares at the earth bender munching on a sweet roll. She thinks to hide the tears welling up in her eyes, but she is reminded that the woman sitting opposite of her is blind.

"How? How do I got out of his shadow?" Asami whispers to herself.

"Well, you can't have a shadow without light. So, shine brighter. Drown out his light. I know you can do that."

Asami did not intend for her question to be heard, but the answer is much appreciated.

"I don't really know what I'm talking about. I'm not Uncle Iroh." Toph adds.

Asami snickers and wipes away a stray tear.

"You're pretty special, kiddo."

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."

"Of course it does!"

They laugh together.

"But seriously, you left the house wearing that?"

Asami looks down at her black top and matching skirt. "I think I look," she stops short and looks up.

She is greeted by Toph's toothy smile as the older woman waves her hand in front of her face. Her cloudy green eyes are brighter than usual. Asami cannot help but laugh at herself. The Beifongs never once made Asami feel as though she were an outsider, for that she is thankful.

"I have to ask though, you have a thing for Sanya don't you?"

Asami nearly chokes on her tea. "What?" Thoughts of the water bender fill her head. She notices herself grinning. "No, no. I mean she's nice. I like her, but I don't like, like her. I mean I don't think I do." She thinks of her past relationship, her grin turns into a frown.

"I can tell when you're lying." The older woman smirks.

Asami wrings her hands and chews on her lip. She does not think she is ready to like someone again, let alone trust someone with her broken heart.

Toph drops her sweet roll and looks up past Asami toward the door. "We have to go kiddo."

"What?"

"Something's not right, we have to go." Toph says as she gets to her feet.

Asami digs through her purse to find money to pay for the tea, but she is waved away.

"I never pay for anything here. Now, come on kiddo!" Toph drags her away again.

They run out of the shop into the busy street. Toph turns to her left and walks toward an earth bending school.

"What's going on?" Asami asks as she follows.

Before Toph can answer an all too familiar scene unfolds. Three large mechs burst out of a near by building and make their way down the street. People around them begin screaming and running away. Bodies bump into Asami, but she she is frozen. Every mech coming toward them has the Future Industries logo. A gang of men in equalist masks appear at the mechs' feet. A mixture of fear and anger render Asami motionless. The street clears of by standers, leaving only Toph and Asami to face the mechs.

A punch to the arm nearly knocks the heiress off her feet. "Stay focused kiddo. Let's hope our girls are nearby."

Asami grits her teeth and drops her purse, she doesn't need her equalist glove to deal with this problem. "Maybe you should sit this one out because,"

"Excuse me?" Toph responds with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, nevermind." Asami runs toward the nearest equalist.

She dodges the glove and kick, but stands her ground. A swift punch to the stomach followed by an elbow to the back of the head knock her foe to the ground. She pauses to rip slits on either side of her skirt. Three more equalists attack her. She imagines them as the pillars of earth in Toph's backyard. She dodges their batons, sweeping a leg under all three of them. They fall to the ground, but before thy can rise Asami knocks them out with quick fists. She turns to see Toph standing with her arms crossed in the middle of the street. She rips off her cloak and stomps her foot in the ground. Arms before her with her palms facing in, she stands at the ready. A swift punch send a tower of earth into one mech. A slight kick into the ground sends the ground rumbling, a sphere of earth jumps out of the ground and into the second mech. It topples over. A another tower of earth sends it flying into the first mech. Behind Toph, a wave of water comes rushing down the street. A slab of earth rises behind Toph, slicing the river of water into two. Lin drops from a rooftop taking out four equalists in the process.

Asami shakes the daze out of her head. Removing her shoes, her feet pound the hot stone road as she attacks two more equalists in her path. Sanya comes gliding into Asami's field of vision on a slab of ice. She wears a black leather jacket, a Water Tribe symbol made of clear blue tubes decorates the back. The tubes go down her arm and end at her wrist. She leaps off her make shift board and sends sharp pillars of ice into the last mech. As she lands she takes out two equalist thugs. Asami can see more equalists coming their way, along with one more mech. In one fluid movement, she takes out the last equalist in her way with a kick to the chin.

The women regroup around Toph. Asami's feet are muddied, her skirt tore and stained.

"There are more coming." Asami informs the group.

"Mother, are you all right?'

"I'm fine, you should be worried about those guys!" She points past the women.

Sanya is silent as she watches the road absorb the wave of water she sent down the street. Asami can see the tubes on her jacket are filled with water. It mimics a metal bender's cable uniform. The heiress is impressed with the water bender's ingenuity.

"What's the plan?" Sanya looks to Lin.

"I'll take out all of them!" Toph screams.

"Mother! For all we know they could be here for you. Asami, stay with my mother. Sanya, how much water did you put in the ground?"

"Let's just say you'll be getting a bill from water company again." Sanys replies with an innocent smile.

Lin glares at the water bender.

"I am a grown woman Linnora! I don't need a babysitter! No offense, kiddo."

"None taken ma'am. But we should get out of,"

Before Asami can finish her sentence the mech shoots a ball of fire at them. Walls of earth surround them as the ball of fire makes impact. Asami is knocked back by the explosion and hits her head on the stone wall. She sees Toph stumble, but stay on her feet.

"Well, that's new." Asami says to herself as she rubs the back of her head.

"Stay down." Toph says. "I don't want you getting dizzy. You sound tall I don't think I can carry you back home." She jokes.

Asami obeys. Her head throbs and her vision momentarily blurs. She has underestimated these equalists. She wonders how many of Future Industries' engineers are more loyal to her father than they are to the company. The walls fall back into the ground. She turns to see Lin and Sanya standing side by side, waiting for the mech to come closer. She squints and shields her eyes from sunlight with her hand. A familiar looking silhouette moves about inside the mech. She holds her breath, hoping her imagination is not running wild. A gaunt figure with glasses and a distinct mustache comes into view. Asami's mouth drops. I cannot be him.

"What are they doing?" Toph asks.

Asami is suprised by the question. "Just standing there." Asami replies in confusion, looking up at the older woman.

Toph is silent. She stomps her foot into the wet ground. Asami is still as she watches, unsure of what to do next. She turns to see Lin is also barefoot. Could they be talking through the earth? Asami wonders.

Lin and Sanya both plant their feet firmly into the ground. Their movements are precise and identical. Mound of wet earth takes out the equalists on foot. Sanya effortlessly transitions from an earth bending style into a form of water bending Asami has never seen before. She moves like a raging river one moment and an angry fire the next. Lin stands firm like a mountain. Ice and stone attack the mech and remaining equalists. The mighty machine and its pawns fall with a loud crash.

"Taking notes, kiddo? Those are my girls!"

Before the dust can settle, Sanya and Lin rush over to Toph and Asami.

"Are you all right?" Sanya gets on her knees to help Asami up.

"Yeah, just hit my head. I'm fine." She stumbles.

The water bender catches her by the waist. "I'm sure you are, but let me help you okay?"

Asami doesn't argue and slides her arm around Sanya's neck and over her shoulder. Sanya's grip on Asami's waist is light, but strong enough to keep her steady.

"Let's go home ladies." Toph says to her group.

Asami sits on the large green couch holding a pouch of ice to her head. Jet lies next to her, resting his head on her lap. She finds petting the wolf to be oddly comforting. Sanya stands nearby, arms folded across her chest. Toph sits beside Asami with her feet on the table.

"They're getting a lot more cocky. I don't want a repeat of Republic City here." Lin says as she paces the room.

"They wanted to take out the earth bending school. They're getting stronger if they just attack in broad day light like that." Sanya adds.

She knows Lin feels she failed in Republic City, Asami can understand her anxiety about this situation. The heiress thinks about the man she saw in the mech. The man was too skinny to be her father, but if he was on the run he would have lost weight. She thinks hitting her head might have played tricks on her mind. Was that man like the cat in the alley? Did she really see him? She decides to keep her mouth shut. She sighs and focuses her attention on the Beifong women.

"I'll sort out the damages with the city tomorrow." Lin states.

"You should call Chan and Mai." Toph adds.

Lin nods.

"Hey," Sanya whispers. "Are you all right?"

Asami turns to see the water bender leaning toward her. She nods yes, trying her best to smile. Sanya lowers her gaze and leans back into the wall.

"It'll only get worse. And I know things are ten times worse for kiddo over here." Toph motions to Asami. "We need to get serious."

"Mother, what are you thinking?" Lin stops pacing.

Toph turns to Asami. "When you feel better, training will get a little more hardcore. Are you up for it?" She looks to Sanya. "Things'll get harder for you too."

Sanya nods. "I know." Her voice is low.

Asami chews on her lip. She remembers first taking Lin's offer to train her, she had nothing to lose. Now, she has something to gain. Determination makes her clench her jaw.

"Okay, I'm up for it."


	3. Chapter 3

I'll try to get the next chapter up by next Sunday, as I go back to school next Monday. The next chapters after that will take a while to get up. Thanks fro reading.

Asami finds herself in the stone circle once again. An army of men fashioned out of rocks rush in to attack her. The past week has been grueling, each training session leaving her more tired than the last. Today, a mix of frustration and sheer determination keep her standing. All her life she had to prove something to others. Now, she must prove something to herself. No one else but herself. Nothing else exists outside of this circle. She twists her body to narrowly dodge an attack. She does her best to control the cables using only her hands. Her cables are caught by stone batons, pulling her closer to it. Her bare feet drag across gravely dirt, but she hardly feels any pain. Her feet are used to it. A sly grin appears on her face as she thinks about all the people who though she was a prissy little princess. She allows the stone warrior to reel her in. She leaps into it's chest, knocking it out of the circle. Pushing herself off its chest, she twists her body in mid air. Cables fly, kicks make contact, and dust fills the air. She focuses on nothing more than staying in that circle.

The dust settles and Asami stands at the ready. Chunks of stone surround her, the remains of her earthen foes. She knows she is still in the circle, not one doubt crosses her mind. She is tense, waiting for another attack, but all is calm. Asami closes her eyes and stands completely still. She hears a rumbling behind her, to her left. It moves to her right. The rumbling gets louder as it nears, switching sides with each passing moment. She hears the earth beneath her. A tower of stone rises behind her, she is not surprised. She leaps to her left and wraps metal tendrils around the stone tower. With all her might, her legs push the tower to the ground. She lands softly in the center of the circle.

"Good work, kiddo." Toph walks into the circle with a canteen.

Asami gives her a quick smile and takes the canteen. The cool water washes dirt out of her mouth and soothes her dry throat.

"Rest up tonight. We're going on a little field trip tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" Asami asks between sips.

"To see my earth bending teachers."

Asami pauses mid sip. "Weren't you taught by badger moles?"

"Someone bring Captain Obvious here a medal!" Toph laughs as she walks away from the circle.

Asami is still frozen in place, canteen still help up to her mouth. Her mind races to come up with a reason for why the earth bender would want to take her to see the badger moles. She races toward the home to find Lin nearby punching holes into a wall of steel.

"Lin, can we talk?"

The woman sends the wall of metal flying behind her with a flick of the wrist. She wipes sweat off her brow and leans on the wall.

"What's up?"

"Your mother is taking me to the badger moles tomorrow. I don't really understand what's happening here."

"My mother is insane."

"I heard that!" Toph calls from somewhere in the house. "I'm taking that as a compliment!"

"Why is she doing this? I'm not a bender."

"No, but she thinks you can be."

Asami is dumbfounded. She knows it is possible to take bending away, but she did not think it was possible to give it. "But why?"

Lin sighs. "Mother, do you want to explain or should I?"

No response.

Lin momentarily frowns before focusing on the heiress. "That night I took you home, when I was barefoot, that was probably the closest I've been to you since we met. I picked something up, something I only sense in benders. Like a tiny rock just waiting to be a mountain. My mother sensed the same. She thinks the badger moles can help."

Asami falls onto the wall and slides down, her bottom hitting the ground. Her mind is a mess of thoughts, not one she can finish. She is not a bender. She is just another girl. She could never be a bender. If there was a chance Toph is right, could she handle being a bender? Did she even want to be one?

"Hey, you all right?"

Asami is pulled out of her thoughts. Lin crouches next to her, hand on her shoulder.

"I seem to ask you that a lot don't I?" Lin tries to get the girl to smile.

"I don't know if I can… Or if I want to." Asami says.

Lin sits down next to the girl. "Do whatever you want."

Asami chews on her lips. She already knows the earth bending style. She already knows she can fight without it. The thought of being a bender is crazy, but what does she have to lose?

"Look, if you don't want to go you don't have to." Lin says softly.

Asami nods, still lost in thought.

"I'll leave you to think about it." The metal bender rises to her feet.

"Did she take you there?"

"Yeah, when I was about your age. Mostly just to teach me how to fight in the dark."

Asami gets to her feet. A familiar phrase repeats in her head. _'I have nothing to lose.' _She often finds herself fighting a foe she does not wish to see, what harm would it do to learn to fight with her eyes closed.

"I'll do it. I'll go."

Lin pats her shoulder. "Get some rest kid, I have a feeling we're walking there."

She finds it difficult to sleep that night. Her body is fatigued from the day's activities, but her mind refuses to rest. She tosses and turns, desperately searching for sleep. Asami settles on her back and lets out an exasperated sigh. The one night she would need to rest, her mind is filled with unfinished thoughts. She groans and covers her eyes, pressing into them until she sees white. Throwing the blanket to the side and swinging her feet over the bed she looks out the window. A slender figure moves by the lake. Streams of water surround the figure as it takes a fighting stance. A striking flash of white hair catches the faint glint of a waning moon.

Asami throws on her robe and makes her way outside. A cool breeze make her clutch her robe a little tighter as she makes her way to the lake. Sanya bends water with smooth fluid movements.

"Hey. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. No Jet tonight?" Asami greets the other girl as she stands behind her.

Sanya shakes her head no. "He's with Aunt Toph tonight. And I've been around. Were you looking for me?" Sanya jokes.

"Maybe." The other girl plays along.

They take a seat on the grass near the water.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Sanya asks with a warm grin.

Asami shakes her head no. "Aren't you cold?" She motions to Sanya's white arm sleeves, blue tank top, and matching pajama bottoms, craning her head slightly to get a peek of her tattoos.

The water bender scoffs. "Water Tribe women don't get cold that easily." She sits up a little straighter. "Unfortunately, I've been living in Ba Sing Se for far too long. So, I might be a tiny bit cold."

The heiress laughs.

"When was the last time you visited the South Pole?" Asami asks.

"About two years ago. We decided to pay Aunt Katara a visit. It was fun watching her argue with Aunt Toph."

"Did you get those done there?" Asami points to the other girl's back with some embarrassment. "Sorry, I just couldn't help but notice."

"It's all right. Yeah, I got the bottom bit finished then. The top half I had done the visit prior to that one. This was actually Aunt Toph's idea, believe it or not."

Asami chews n her lip, suppressing the urge to ask to see the elaborate tattoos.

Sanya looks at her with raised eyebrows. "Do you want to see?"

Asami giggles. "Sure."

The water bender gets to her knees and turns her back to Asami. She lifts her shirt and holds it up. Intricately drawn lines intertwine and slither down her back. The top half is left covered by her chest wrap. She can see the bottom half of a crescent moon peeking out from under the wrap. Wisps of clouds travel down her back to an elaborately drawn sea. Waves decorate the lower half of her back, the Water Tribe symbol sits atop a twisting spout of water. Ribbons of water wrap around her hips. Before she can pull back, Asami finds her finger grazing Sanya's cold skin. The muscles in her back tense.

"Sorry!" Asami quickly pulls back.

"It's all right. Your hands are cold." Sanya snickers.

The water bender turns to face Asami, still holding up her shirt. The ribbons of water flow down past the waistband of her pajama bottoms. Her thumb catches her waistband, pushing it down dangerously low. She reveals The ribbons of water coming down her hips, ending in wave on either side. The heiress can feel blood rushing to her face as she catches herself staring.

"That must've taken a long time to do." Asami says quickly looking away.

Sanya sits on her heels. "Yeah, it did. Hurt a bit too."

"But it's really beautiful."

"Thanks." She can see the other girl begin to blush. "Funny how that works. It's like everything that's beautiful has to hurt so much and take so long."

"I never thought of it that way before."

"Please feel free to let auntie know I say smart things sometimes."

The heiress giggles. "And how did she feel about all that?" She points to Sanya's back.

"Same as Aunt Katara. She can be so motherly sometimes." The girl lets out a small laugh.

"You don't talk about your mother much."

"Neither do you." Sanya shoots her a warm smile.

Asami is silent. She plays with her bracelet. She closes her eyes to try and remember her mother, but the images are blurry.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Sanya asks softly.

Asami looks up to see the other girl already standing, hand reaching out for her. Asami takes her hand and gets to her feet.

"I remember you said you liked flowers. So…" Sanya waves her hand before her as the slowly walk around the lake.

The tendrils of flowers hanging down from trees form a canopy above them. The flowers on the ground twist and sway as the walk by. Asami's eyes widen with wonder at the sight.

"Was your mother a water bender?" Asami asks with fear in her voice.

"I don't know. I never met her. Aunt Toph told me she ran after I was born, leaving me with gran and grumps." Sanya replies nonchalantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Grumps told me some ridiculous story that he and the moon spirit share some kind of special bond and that she gave me life. I didn't believe him at first, he loved the cactus juice you see."

The girls giggle.

"After a while I started to believe him. Especially after Aunt Katara gave me this." She continues as she pulls out her pendent from under her shirt.

"Is that why you look up at the moon a lot?"

"I think so. It's kind of nice to think someone up there is looking out for you."

Asami nods, looking up at the moon.

They continue to walk around the lake, the canopy of flowers falling behind them as they pass. Asami watches Sanya walk beside her, scratching her bicep again. She thinks she might have made the girl nervous.

"Sometimes I try to think about my mom, but it's hard to see her face."

Sanya stops and leans against a tree. She waves her arms again, causing the vines between them to part. Asami leans into a nearby tree.

"It's like I'm forgetting about her, I can't see her face in my head anymore."

"Did you like to do anything with her?" Sanya asks.

Asami is silent for a moment, searching the archives of her memory. "She loved to garden. She planted so many flowers in the backyard. I remember once I thought I would help by digging up tons of little holes where she could plant her flowers." The memory causes her to bite back a grin. "I was covered in mud and dirt. She didn't yell at me though. I remember her saying, 'Sami! Don't do that without my help!' Then she started digging with me."

"Can you see her face now?"

Asami smiles sadly. "Yeah, I can." She fiddles with her bracelet. "She gave me this bracelet that day. She told me it would remind me that I'll never be alone." She holds up her wrist. "The one in the center is me. The other were supposed to be her and my father." She turns away from Sanya, trying her best to swallow the lump in her throat.

"If I may ask, how did she… Err… Pass away?" Sanya's scratching becomes more intense.

"A fire bender killed her when I was a little girl." Her voice catches in her throat. "I grieved for a long, long time. I came to terms with it. But my father…" Her voice trails off. She grits her teeth and blinks away tears. "He just turned all the love he had into hate. And it just took over him. He's not my father anymore. He's someone else now. You know, I think I saw him that day the we were attacked. I don't know if it was him or if I was just seeing things." She clutches her robe tighter around her. "He left me alone with a failing company to run all because he thought his hate was more important." She can no longer stop her tears from falling. "And the only friends I've been able to make just don't feel like friends." Her voice cracks.

She has been holding all this in for so long, she did not realize it would hurt so much to let it out. From the corner of her eyes she sees Sanya behind her, arm raised as if to touch her. The water bender pulls back.

She bangs her head into the tree. "I put up this act, like I'm made of stone. Like I don't need anyone, but I don't think I can do it alone anymore. I feel so stupid for being like this when there are bigger things going on, but I'm just so tired."

Sanya puts her arm around Asami's shoulder. Asami turns and wraps her arms around the other girl's waist. She closes her eyes tightly, refusing to let her tears flow. Sanya's soft heartbeat echoes in her ears. She can no longer prevent her tears from falling as the thought of her life outside of Sanya's arms is still a mess. The other girl hugs her tighter. Asami buries her face into Sanya's shoulder, breathing in the scent of lavender and lilies. She allows herself to be held as her body becomes weak. Asami is suddenly tired, she has found the sleep she was so desperately seeking earlier that night.

Sanya begins to loosens her grip, but keeps her hands on Asami's shoulders. "I don't think there's anything I can say to make things better. But, you're not alone. Not anymore. I can't speak for my aunts, but I know them well enough to know that they'll stick with you." Sanya's large blue eyes are sincere, a distinct red hue colors her cheeks. "I can't promise things will be perfect, but I can promise to stand by you for as long as you'll have me. I can promise to always make stupid jokes to make you laugh. I can promise to stick around. And I don't expect you to trust me right away considering all that's happened, but give me a chance? I promise I won't let you down." She holds out her pinky finger.

Asami wipes away tears as she lets out a giggle. "What's this?"

"Well, when gran made grumps promise he wouldn't buy more stuff she'd make him stick out his pinky finger. She'd stick out her and wrap it around his and that was the promise. I never understood it actually."

"Is this a Water Tribe thing?" Asami asks jokingly.

"I think it's just our family."

The heiress snickers as she takes the water bender's pinky with her own. "You promise?"

"I promise."

They let go.

"I should probably get back to bed, I have a long day tomorrow." Asami wipes away the last of her tears.

"I heard about that. Are you excited?" Sanya asks as they walk back to the house.

"A little."

The water bender rises an eyebrow.

"Can you tell when I'm lying too?"

Sanya shrugs with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I just don't know if I want to be a bender."

"Bender, non-bender. Either way I think I'd still trip all over myself just looking at you."

Asami giggles. "Why? I'm just a girl. Just Asami."

Sanya shakes her head no. "No one is ever just a person. Not really."

The heiress nods. She agrees with the water bender.

"You've been through so much. Any normal person would self destruct, but you still stay strong. Or try to anyway. You didn't let hate and fear take over where love and trust should be and that's really something. And you can still find it in your heart to laugh at some of the things I say. That's amazing!" Sanya keeps her eyes down, but Asami can see her reddened cheeks.

Asami finds herself beaming. She has not been like this in a long while. Her newfound happiness is soon replaced with the thought that this could not possibly last.

The girls walk in silence.

"Will you come with us?"

"If you want me to." Sanya keeps her eyes on the ground.

"I'd like you to."

"Than, I guess I should get some sleep too." Sanya opens the door for Asami.

They walk through the house and to the doors to their rooms. Sanya leans on her door, Asami does the same.

"So, umm, I wanted to ask you if you would maybe," Sanya begins fidget, avoiding eye contact with Asami.

"Yes?" Asami crosses her arms with a mischievous grin on her face.

A cough causes both girls to look down the corridor. Toph stands just outside her room. She taps her foot on the floor, but says nothing. Jet pokes his head out beside Toph's legs.

"Right, well we should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Sanya says in a rush, bolting through her door and closing it quickly.

Asami sighs with disappointment.

"You have a thing for her." Toph teases.

"Good night" Asami says as she walks into her room and shuts the door.

"I can tell that you do!" Toph says loudly enough for Asami to hear.

She takes a pillow and places it over her head, remember what it was like to be in Sanya's arms. She bites back a grin. But, that grin soon turns into a frown as she thinks about her past. She curses herself for assuming everyone is like her father and certain fire bender.

The early morning sun warms Asami as she walks outside the outer ring of Ba Sing Se. She can longer see the stone walls of the city when she looks back. Nor can she see much in the distance before her beside the Beifong women. She fiddles with her bracelet, losing herself in her thoughts.

"Hey, anyone walking here? Mind if I walk here?" Sanya asks as she walks beside Asami.

The heiress pretends to think hard about the question. "No. I wouldn't mind at all."

"Are you nervous?" Sanya plays with the straps of the pack she carries on her back.

"Umm, no. Not really."

The water bender smiles with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little bit nervous."

"Don't be, you're great."

Asami blushes. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." She punches Sanya's arm.

The other girl rubs her arm and tries to hide the growing red hue on her face. "I'm just another girl. I'm no avatar!"

"Oh, that's right. You've met Korra."

"Oh yes I have." Sanya snickers, her eyes lowered with a hint of sadness.

"How'd you two meet?"

Sanya keeps her eyes on her feet. "Aunt Katara went back to the South Pole to help with avatar stuff. Grumps let me go with her. We were still kids when we met, but she was… I mean she knew who she was and wasn't afraid to let everyone know."

"Sounds like she hasn't changed much." Asami snickers.

"I guess not. I'd see her each time we visited the South Pole." Sanya pauses and begins to scratch her bicep, bititing her her words. "I wanted so much to be like her."

Shock causes Asami to look at Sanya. The water bender's arm begins to redden from all the scratching.

"Why? Asami could not help but ask.

"She's the golden child. The avatar. It was like she got everything she wanted. Everyone always talked about her, paid more attention to her. I wanted that."

"I understand." Memories of Republic City fill her mind.

"I get it, she's got a lot on her shoulders. Being the avatar and all." She looks to Asami with a playful smile, trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. "I really did try to be her you know."

"Did you really?"

"I really did. Obviously, I'm not the avatar. But, I do okay with my fake earth bending and I can make lightning!" Her eyes light up. "Sort of." The light is quickly extinguished.

"How?" Asami asks.

"Well, grumps likes to keep a bunch of books around. He thought he was some sort of scientist-inventor-detective or whatever. He was a character."

Asami giggles.

"I read in one of his books how wild lightning works. Lots of little water drops hit and rub up against each other until electricity happens. So…" Her voice trails off.

Sanya runs to patch of shrubs and bushes. She runs her hands over the plants. They turn brown and shrivel up. Sanya returns to Asami's side, her hands running over a bubble of water. Her hands move faster. Soon the water breaks into smaller drops. Then, into even smaller droplets. She continues until the droplets are so small Asami cannot see them anymore. A small flash of lightning crack between Sanya's hands. She drops her arms and the water as well. She is out of breath, a drop of sweat rolls down her cheek.

"That's the best I can do." Disappointment in her voice.

"Hey, that's great. I don't know of any other water bander who can do that!" Asami is genuinely impressed.

"Aunt 'Zula was the only one who told me I could do that. Even Aunt Toph was a bit skeptical."

"But you did it."

Sanya nods with embarrassment. "I'm still not as great as Korra." She looks up, biting her lip. "I think I just wanted that sort of circle of people she has, you know?"

Asami's eyes widen with realization as she nods her head. _'Oh, I know all right." _She thinks to herself. She wants the same.

"But, I guess I have that now." Sanya looks ahead to the Beifong women.

Asami's mouth curls into a grin, but her eyes reveal her heartache. She wonders if she would ever have a group of people she can call family.

"I mean, I didn't get to spend much time with Aunt Katara, but Aunt 'Zula made time for me. That was fun." Sanya's is lost in a memory.

"Aunt 'Zula?"

"Oh, Sorry. Fire Princess Azula."

She is in awe of the people Sanya calls family. People who are living legends, heroes she has only heard of from books, infamous Fire Nation royalty, and they are all aunts, uncles, grandfathers. She plays with a thought in her head. If the woman who almost killed the avatar can become compassionate enough to gain Sanya's affections, was there hope for her father?

"She and Aunt Ty never left me out. I actually really miss them." She furrows her brow. "I'm so sorry. I just went on a rant."

"No, no it's all right. I like hearing about your family. Let's me forget about mine."

"Hey, sometimes the family we need isn't the one we were born with." She lightly punches Asami's arm. "I mean, who would've thought I'd be Aunt 'Zula's favorite little peasent?"

The girls laugh. Asami's anxiety dissolves. For a moment she forgets why they are walking in the hot sun.

The Beifongs stop and wait for the girls to catch up.

"What are you two laughing about?" Lin asks.

"Aunt 'Zula." Sanya responds innocently.

"I haven't seen her crazy witch face in ages. Remind me to call her." Toph adds.

"Mother, you have never seen her face."

"Oh yeah. Good." Toph laughs.

Asami giggles as she watches Lin trying to suppress her laughter. The metal bender eventually gives in.

"Hey, kiddo walk with me for a bit?" Toph says to Asami as her laughter dies down.

The heiress nods and follows the older woman. She looks back to see Sanya smiling at her.

"You sure you want to do this?" Toph asks.

"Yeah, I have nothing to lose."

"Are you sure about that?"

Asami chews on her lip. She is not. "I don't know." She thinks of Bolin back in Republic City. She looks back to see a smiling Lin teasing Sanya. She looks down to see curious cloudy eyes, waiting for her answer. She looks down at her bracelet, her mother's voice echoes in her head.

"Come here kiddo." Toph motions her follow her. She walks to the edge of small bluff. "Look down there." She point down.

A small river runs through a rock formation. Layers of differently pigmented sediment can be seen on the smooth surface of the rock. A thin stream of water runs between large boulders.

"You really are made of rock. Not easy to break, so don't think you're broken. Stubborn, but for the right reasons. But despite all that… Look how that little bit of water shaped those big ol' rocks."

Asami bites her lip, trying hard not to grin. She does not need to look back to see Sanya, images of her flash in her mind.

"Two kids from the South Pole did that to me. I'd be miserable if it weren't for Sugar Queen and the goof of a brother of hers. Not mention that one." She throws her thumb behind her.

"You took me here to set me up with Sanya?" Asami jokes.

"Well, doesn't hurt to try. Give some credit, it me all morning to think of that!"

They giggle.

"Seriously though, what you'll have to do today won't be easy. You'll want to give up. I just hope you don't. Whatever happens… I don't know. I hope I've helped."

Asami is struck by a sudden wave of emotion. Guilt fills her as she thinks of all the Beifongs have done for her. "Of course you have. More than anyone has since… Since things started to fall apart."

"Look, I don't do well with all this emotional, mushy stuff. But, I know what it's like to feel like I didn't have a family. I tried to do my best for Lin, but I know she wonders what it would've been like to have a father. And you, all that happened to you just plain sucks. Lin and I can't be your new mom and dad, but we'll be here for you." Toph begins to walk along the edge of the bluff, motioning for Lin and Sanya to begin walking as well.

Asami follows, her words still echoing in her mind. She does the only thing she can think to do and throws a punch into Toph's arm. The older woman returns the gesture with a grin. The heiress smiles as well, but she cannot help but wonder about Lin's father.

"You want to ask about Linnora's father?" Toph says suddenly.

"Oh, no. I was just wondering about,"

"You're lying." Toph's voice is playful. "Sorry to disappoint, kiddo. She didn't have one. Like Sanya."

Asami is momentarily confused, but decides it is not worth the confusion.

"For what it's worth, I think you did an excellent job raising her."

"Yeah I did, didn't I?"

They laugh together.

"Tell me, does she look like me? People say she kind of does." Toph says softly.

"Yeah, she does. She has your eyes." She pauses, thinking of a way to describe Lin's green eyes to someone who has never seen a color. "Eyes like… Feeling the perfect patch of grass between your toes."

Toph's mouth curls into a small grin. Asami can see a tear fall from her wet eyes.

"I knew I was right about you." Toph begins to say. "You'll be fine, kiddo." Toph stops at the edge of the bluff.

Lin and Sanya join them. Asami shoots Sanya a smile before looking down. A lone rock formation sits in a sea of stone and earth. It's jagged edges cast uneven shadows on the ground. Toph slides her foot forward. A stone ramp slides out before them. Toph makes her way down, followed by Asami and Lin. Sanya stumbles down the ramp, tripping on herself at the bottom.

"I'm okay!" She says loudly as she gets to her feet. "In case anyone was wondering!"

"It's amazing, isn't it? You see her fight, then you see this. You wonder how it's the same person." Lin jokes beside Asami.

Toph holds out her hands and punches the air. A slab of stone slides away from the face of the rock formation revealing a hole of pure darkness.

"Listen up kid, I had to do this when I was around your age. But, it'll be harder for you." Lin turns to Asami.

"Because I'm not an earth bender?" Her eyes stay low, hiding her disappointment.

"Exactly. That's not a bad thing. You'll be scared and confused, but mostly frustrated. Just keep at it."

"Yes, chief."

Lin pats Asami's shoulder and turns away.

"Keep going until you find a sort of clearing. Then stop, wait, and listen. You'll know when to leave. Got that?" Toph explains.

Asami nods as she feels her nerves tensing up again. Fear rising in her makes her fidgety.

"Don't be scared kiddo, there is nothing down there or up here you can't handle."

Asami removes her shoes and her jacket. She picks up bits of rock on the ground and throws them into her jacket, creating a pouch. She looks around to find a shrub growing from the side of the rock formations. Asami runs to it and takes handfuls of long dried leaves, twisting them together. Asami ties the ends and hits the face of a boulder. She looks up to see a smiling Toph and a curious Lin. Behind them she sees Sanya standing with her hand on her bicep, looking as nervous as she feels. She drops her makeshift pouch and stick and hurries to Sanya, throwing her arms around the other girl's neck.

"I'll be fine." She whispers in Sanya's ear.

"I know." The water bender responds.

Asami releases her grip. She gives Sanya a quick kiss on the cheek before quickly turning and retrieving her pouch of rocks. She knows she has left the girl's face burning red.

"Lin, what happened? Sanya's heartbeat is going crazy."

"Nothing mother, they hugged and Sanya got a kiss on the cheek."

Toph begins to laugh. Asami cannot help but giggle herself as she enters the mouth of the cave. She looks back one last time before advancing into the blackness of the cave. A smiling Lin gives her a nod. Toph's toothy smile gives her an ounce of confidence while Sanya's warm grin gives her an ounce of comfort. She takes a deep breath and moves forward.

As she walks down the cave's slight decline, the light from the outside slowly fades. The air becomes heavier. She takes a rock from her makeshift pouch and tosses it a few feet forward. The sound of rock hitting rock echo throughout the cave. She moves forward. The darkness begins to play with her mind, she can feel herself beginning to panic. Asami reaches out her hand and feels for the cave wall. She slinks down to the floor and closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. She thinks of the people waiting outside for her. She thinks of all they have done for her. She thinks of her mother's smile that day she gave her the bracelet. Asami gets to her feet and continues to walk, throwing a rock with every few steps.

She does not know how much time has passed as she walks deeper into the cave. The ground has leveled, or so she thinks it has.

She hears the plop of a rock falling into water. She stops, reaching out her right hand to feel for the cave wall. Inching her way forward, her toes feel wetness. She throws another rock to her left. Asami hears it hit the cave wall and fall into the water. She chews her lip, thinking of a way to get across.

"You can do this, Asami. Just think." She says aloud.

She takes her stick and slowly lowers it into the water. She is shoulder deep into the water and her stick has yet to reach the bottom. Something deep in the water takes hold of her stick. She releases it quickly and backs away.

"Okay. New plan." She knows better than to swim across.

Asami shakes her arm dry. She tosses another rock. Plop. Another rock. Plop. She can hear bubbles popping on the surface of the water. She tosses one more rock. Clank.

"Right, that didn't help at all. Good job, Asami."

She stands still, staring at the darkness and hoping for an answer. She drops all the stones in her jacket. Asami counts her steps backward, exactly ten steps. She turns and runs, counting each step. She grunts as she leaps off the ground, careful to keep her head down. Her forefoot touches dry land, while her back foot touches slimy flesh. Asami lets herself fall to her knees as she crawls to the cave wall, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Get it together. You can't quit now."

Taking a moment to calm her beating heart, she stands and continues. Her hand repeatedly hitting the cave wall. The sound is faint, but enough to give her something in which she may focus her scattered mind. She keeps walking, thinking about all the people she has left behind. All the people she wishes could walk with her through this darkness. A memory of her mother flashes into her head. She sits at their kitchen with a cup of tea, staring out a window. A sad smile on her face. A younger version of herself runs into the room and clutches her mother's legs. She takes a young Asami in her arms and sits her atop the counter. Her mouth moves, a young Asami smiles. She cannot remember the words her mother uttered that day. Memories of Lin and Toph teasing each other make her giggle. She thinks perhaps she and her mother would have a similar relationship. She thinks of Sanya. Hearing her voice in her head and remembering her embrace, her grin widens. Asami does not know why she is so afraid of admitting she might have feelings for the water bender.

She smiles to herself, as she picks up her pace. Her hand hits the cave wall harder, causing a louder echo. Her hand tingles with pain, but she ignores it. She closes her eyes and continues to walk, losing any sense of time she held onto when she first stepped into this cave. Asami slaps the cave wall again. The echo sounds different, she cannot understand why, but it is different. She takes five steps forward and slaps the wall. The echo is definitely different. She hesitates to walk away from the wall as she extends her other hand to reach for the opposite wall. Her fingers only meet air. She must have reached the clearing. Asami moves away from the wall and cautiously walks forward. She sits down on the cold cave floor, legs crossed and back straight she waits.

The motor in her mind begins to rev. A hurricane of thoughts assault her. She thought she has conquered the heavy darkness, but the deafening silence begins its attack. She inhales and exhales deeply, stale cave air filling her lungs. She focuses on her breathing, clenching and releasing her fists in the process. The storm in her mind begins to dissipate. Her body relaxes. She waits and listens.

She does not know how long she has been sitting in that spot. Her legs begin to tingle and her bottom becomes sore, but she refuses to move. The memory of her mother in their kitchen pops up again. She focuses on her mother's face as she looks out the window, she is sad. Asami never noticed this before. She runs to her mother and clutches her legs. She was crying. How could she forget that she was crying. Her mother picks her up and places her on the counter, making funny faces and silly noises. Her younger self smiles. '_Don't cry darling. It's okay, of course I still love you._' Asami furrows her brow, concentrating on the memory. Her younger self looks down and retrieves a broken pearl necklace. '_Love is more than a necklace 'Sami. It's the best thing you have._' She feels a tear stream down her cheek. Her mother did not mention that it can break everything as well.

She hears a soft shuffling behind her. Asami does not move. The shuffling becomes louder, sounding as though it is coming closer to her. Rocks fall behind her, but she still does not move. A sharp rush of air rustles her hair. Sleek fur brushes against her arm. She shivers, but she keeps her fear from growing. The creature shuffles before her, the sound of rock grinding against rock comes from somewhere above her. Slivers of sunlight hit the cave floor. She squints at the sudden exposure to light, albeit a small amount of it. A large badger mole sits a few yards to her left. She knows they are blind. The creature illuminated the cave for her. As her eyes adjust, she sees the creature clearly. It moves its head to face her. Asami is frozen. The creature stops shuffling. Asami closes her eyes and focuses on her breathing again. She thinks she hears a whisper carried in the wind near her, but the sound does not seem to come from anywhere in the cave. She focuses on the silence, hoping to hear it again. Hoping she has not lost her mind in this darkness. She hears the whisper again, not in the cave but in her head. The badger mole shuffles near her before becoming still. Asami leans back, resting her body weight on her hands. She hears the whisper again, a disembodied voice carried by the earth. '_Follow._'

She sits up straight, her eyes on the badger mole. Its glossy silver eyes look in her direction. She hears it again, louder this time. '_Follow._'

Asami gets on her hands and knees, crawling toward the massive beast. She looks down at her dirty hands. Half a year ago her nails were always professionally done, decorated with the finest paints. Now, they are covered in dirt with mud under her chipped fingernails. She shakes the thought out of her head as she follows the badger mole through a newly formed tunnel. '_Listen only._' She hears the disembodied voice again. She closes her eyes and keeps her head down, following the shuffling of the badger mole. She is no longer afraid. She is no longer anxious. She is oddly calm.

Asami follows the beast through winding tunnels, going up and down. Occasionally it will create a new path, causing bits of earth and stone to fall down on her. But she does not mind. The skin on her palms burn as raw skin hits hard ground. Her knees ache. The fabric over them is long gone as her bare bruised skin is exposed to gravel. She crawls in a daze now, her exhaustion getting the best of her. The pain becomes unbearable, tears stream down her dirty face. She thinks she hears her mother's voice. '_Don't cry darling. I still love you._' She cannot stop her tears from flowing. '_Remember, 'Sami. It's the best thing you have_.' Her mother's voice repeats.

She cries silently as she follows the beast.

'_Mom, I don't have it anymore._' The thinks to herself, responding to her mother.

'_My darling, you will always have it. It may hide and be harder to find, but it is never lost._' Her mother's voice responds.

She suppresses her sobs. '_How?_' She asks, not knowing if she has completely lost her mind in the darkness or if this is really happening.

'_You will always have my love, 'Sami. Do not forget. Do not let it turn into hate._'

_'Like dad did?'_

_'Yes. Please, 'Sami do not love the love in your heart.'_

_'Mom, I need you. It's too hard. I can't do it by myself.'_

_'My darling, you are not alone. You will never be alone. I am sorry I left you so soon. I hope you still carry my memory with you.'_

She wipes tears from her face, knowing that mud has caked on her cheeks. '_I love you mom._'

No response.

She sobs, but quickly collects herself. She exhales and continues to crawl.

The beast stops shuffling. She stops and looks up to find it facing her. It blows air into her face, its wet nose touches her forehead. It moves aside. '_Go._'Asami does not understand, but she crawls forward. Asami feels a soft breeze on her face. A large boulder stands between her and her way out of this cave. She looks back to see the badger mole sitting motionless. She takes a deep breath and puts all her weight into pushing the boulder. She can feel it slowly moving, stone grinding against stone. With one last push and a horse grunt she throws herself at the boulder, pushing it with all her might. It is all a blur as she falls on to the ground. Fresh cold air dries her sweat and tears.

"Aunt Toph! She's back!" She hears Sanya scream in the distance.

Asami looks up, her eyes adjusting to the early night sky. The edges of her vision are blurred. Her throat is scratchy and her mouth is dry. She spits out mud and dirt. Asami tries to stand, but find her exhaustion getting the better of her.

"Hey, kid. Don't try to get up yet." Lin's voice reaches her ears.

Dirt and dust sting in her eyes as she tries to brush them clean, but she finds her hands are too covered in dirt to do much good. She collapses, but strong arms catch her. The familiar scent of lavender and lilies fills her. She opens her eyes to see a smiling Sanya holding a canteen. Asami takes the canteen to her lips and gulps down water. It has never tasted so good. Water runs down her chin and soaks into her stained shirt. Lin and Toph stand over her, pride and relief on their faces. Sanya bends the water spilling onto Asami's shirt and uses it to wipe dirt off the heiress' face.

"You did good kiddo. You did good." Toph kneels ad pats Asami's leg.

The empty canteen tumbles out of Asami's injured hands. Her fatigue is overwhelming, she does not have the strength to stand up.

"I'll carry her back." She hears Sanya's fuzzy voice.

"Sanya, it's a long way back home." Lin protests.

"I don't care. I'll carry her back. Can you carry the pack please?" Sanya responds.

Asami does her best to keep her eyes open, but they feel as though they are made of iron. She holds up a bloody hand to Sanya's face. The water bender takes it and gives her a sad smile.

"I'll heal her." Sanya's voice has become distorted and almost otherworldly.

"No!" A simultaneous response from the Beifongs.

"I will heal her." Sanya's voice repeats.

Asami feels herself being carried. She opens her eyes one last time to see Sanya's blood stained face. The world goes black.


	4. Chapter 4

She wakes with a sharp inhale, sitting up in her bed. Jet sits at the foot of her bed, watching her intently. He makes his way to her and greets her with a wet tongue.

"Glad to see you too, buddy." She says softly as the wolf settles in beside her.

Rays of the setting sun peek through her curtains. She is back in her room. Memories of the day before flash in her head. She looks down to see herself in a clean blue shirt and matching shorts. Her hair is undone and smells of citrus, patches of it still wet. Her hands are covered in bandages, bandages with sky bisons. Asami slowly brings her legs out from under the blanket to find her knees are covered with the sky bison bandages as well. She peels back the bandages on her knees and hands to find reddened skin. Her wounds are completely healed. She looks to her window to find a sleeping Sanya on a small armchair. She wears the same dark blue sleeveless top and black pants she wore the day before. Her arm sleeves are stained with dirt, a bloody handprint on the left one. The water bender's body contorts to fit in the chair, her back facing Asami. She wants to wake her up, to tell her she is okay. But, she decides to let the girl sleep.

Asami runs her hands through Jet's fur, doing her best to process the events of the day before. She focuses on the stone floor, wondering if Toph's plan had worked. The door opens, breaking her concentration.

"Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?" Toph walks in with a glass of water.

"Pretty good actually." Asami is surprised.

She expected much worse.

Toph hands her the glass and sits at the foot of her bed. Jet wastes no time greeting the old earth bender.

"I don't think it worked though." Asami lowers her gaze, taking a sip of water.

"Sure it did. You came out of that stronger than when you went in. Considering how much you don't like going underground, I'd say that's something."

"I can't earth bend."

"Never bothered you before." Toph says nonchalantly.

"But, it didn't work."

"I never really expected it to work. Badger moles are great, but not that great. I don't know what happened down there and you don't have to tell me. I know you came out a little bit stronger though."

The heiress smiles, taking another sip of water.

"She really did carry you all the way back." Toph motions to Sanya with her head.

Asami watches Sanya's back rise and fall with each breath.

"She's been out almost as long as you. Knocked out right after she fixed you up. Hasn't left your side since." Toph continues. "Even this one left a few times." She scratches Jet's head.

"She must have been exhausted." Asami says mostly to herself, staring into the glass of water.

Sanya shifts. Her long legs are draped over the armrest, bare feet nearly touching the floor. Her hair, like a silky blanket, covers her shoulders as she lies face up in the armchair. The sight brings a grin to Asami's face. She tries to bite back her grin, not wanting the earth bender to see.

"Be careful with her." Toph adds.

Asami's smile fades, her full attention on Toph. Uncertainty fills her mind as she watches the earth bender.

"She's been hurt enough and I know you're hurting too, but she's like my own granddaughter."

"Aunt Toph," Asami stops herself, eyes wide with shock. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm just used to hearing it from Sanya."

Toph waves away the apology. "You can call me that too. I'm surprised it took you this long." She grins. "Now, you were saying?"

Asami nods. "Aunt Toph, did you know her mother?" The words leave Asami's mouth before her brain can process the thought.

"I did. Yue and Lin were very close. She took off after Sanya was born. We tried to find her, but she didn't want to be found."

The heiress fiddles with her bracelet, wanting nothing more than to hug Sanya. Though, it would be more for her comfort.

"I promised Sokka and Suki I'd take care of her if anything happened to them."

"And something happened." Asami thinks of her own mother.

Toph lowers her head. "There were Fire Nation supremacists. They ran them off the road. They wanted them dead. They fought, took them hostage for a bit too. I was lucky, Azula and Ty Lee happened to be visiting. We tried to negotiate, but Sokka and Suki refused. They just wanted to get Sanya out. We managed to get the kid out, but," Her voice cracks. "We were too late for Sokka and Suki. Azula lost it and took them all out."

Asami nods, tears welling up in her eyes. She feels the familiar coldness of melancholy creep up her spine. A tear drops from Toph's cheek. Jet whines and comforts her by licking her hand.

"They didn't even want anything." Toph says mostly to herself. "Just one sick game to them."

"Thank you for telling me." Asami's voice shakes. She can only imagine the type of pain Sanya must carry.

"I like you kiddo, but I will break your legs if you break her heart." Her voice as unyielding as stone.

Asami freezes, unsure of what to say or do. The last thing she wants to do is hurt the water bender, or anyone in this family for that matter.

"If she breaks your heart, I'll break her legs." Toph lets out a small laugh. "You've had your heart broken before."

"Did Lin tell you?" Her mood drops.

"No. You did, just now." A victorious grin appears on Toph's face.

The heiress exhales with a snicker, hiding her face in her hand. She wipes away her tears.

"Can I ask what happened?"

Asami shrugs. "He tossed me aside like an apple core. For the avatar."

Toph nods. "Why do people throw away apple cores?"

Asami's brow furrows in confusion. "Because they've eaten all the good bits and don't want the seeds?"

"Hmm. But those seeds, they just need a little dirt and water to grow into a beautiful tree."

Asami grins, mulling over the older woman's words.

"Man, I'm good. Uncle Iroh would have been proud of that one." The earth bender says with a toothy grin. "I think it's time for her to wake up." The older woman snickers.

Toph gets to her feet, taking the glass from Asami. Two pillars of stone rise beneath the armchair's back legs. Sanya spills onto the floor as the pillars sink back into place.

"Auntie, I can explain. I didn't," The water bender's words slur.

Toph and Asami can't help but laugh. Sanya moves disheveled hair out of her face as Jet greets her with a head butt.

"I wasn't even accusing you of anything!" Toph laughs. "I think you two need some time alone." She walks out of the room, motioning for the wolf to follow.

Sanya gets to her feet and stretches. Asami can hear the bones in her back crack.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Sanya stays near the window.

"I'm all right." She wipes her eyes dry. "Better than expected actually."

Sanya raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

The heiress nods. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Oh, it was nothing really. Think of it as my way of thanking you for getting me out of that cell." The water bender plays with her hair as she looks at her feet. "Sorry about the clothes, I didn't want to go through your stuff so I gave Lin my clothes to put on you."

Asami cocks her head in confusion.

"Oh, umm Lin cleaned you up and stuff. I didn't want to help with that. Not because I didn't want to help you! I just thought it would be rude." Sanya's face reddens.

The heiress giggles, a feeling of warmth replacing sorrow. "I think your clothes look pretty good on me." She jokes.

"You can look good covered in dirt. I think you'd look good in anything."

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Oh yeah, I do. You caught me. They're just lined up to have a chance to go out with me." Sanya pulls back the curtains and points outside.

Jet digs a hole several meters away from the window. The wolf looks up and momentarily makes eye contact with Sanya before resuming his digging. The girls laugh. Asami watches the water bender stand near the window, scratching her bicep. She can see the healed wounds on her arm.

"Sanya, why do you do that?" Asami scoots to the edge of the bed nearest to Sanya.

The other girl stops her scratching. "Habit. I guess." Shame reddens her face and lowers her voice.

Asami gets to her feet and walks to Sanya. The heiress takes the other girl's hand and holds it tightly with both of her own. Sanya is frozen. Her sapphire eyes are large, searching Asami's face for n explanation. Asami smiles, trying to hide her grief. Sanya backs away, but keeps her hand in Asami's.

"Something wrong?" The heiress asks.

"Well, it's just, I haven't washed up since we came back. I've been in that chair the whole time."

"Why? You didn't have to."

"I know. I wanted to. You could've woken up from a nightmare or something."

Asami imagines the sort of nightmares Sanya must have had. She imagines a young Sanya running to one of her aunts in the middle of the night, tears in her eyes, crying over a bad dream.

"You mumbled some things about your mother while I was fixing you up. I thought you might have some bad dreams about her, so I stayed." The water bender continues.

"That was very sweet of you." Asami squeezes Sanya's hand.

The water bender blushes.

Asami pulls Sanya to her, throwing her arms around the other girl's neck. Sanya gasps in surprise, but allows herself to fall into the embrace. The water bender's grip on Asami's waist is light at first, unsure of where to put her hands. But, once they find their place they squeeze the heiress with affection.

"Umm, I was wondering if," Sanya begins as the girls pull away. "If you would maybe like to…"

Asami stands with her hands on her hips, imitating Lin's commanding posture.

"Do an activity with me… Sometime?"

Asami cannot suppress her giggles.

Sanya's brow furrows as she puts her palm to her head.

The heiress wastes no time. She takes Sanya by the shirt and pulls her close. Asami presses her lips against Sanya's. She does not care about anything in else in the world but the girl she is kissing. Sanya returns the kiss just as Asami begins to pull away. For a moment, she forgets anything exists outside the walls of her room. She exhales between kisses, as if she exhales the weight of loneliness in her. Sanya's taste fills her mouth, she savors it. She can feel herself smiling as Sanya's kisses outline her lips. The girls pull away.

"When I said activity, I meant like dinner. But, you know that works too." Sanya says through a beaming smile, her eyes glued to Asami's mouth.

The heiress grins. "Did you not like that?" She teases.

Sanya feigns uncertainty. "I think I need to try it again just to make sure."

Asami takes Sanya's face in her hands and kisses her again. She feels a warmth run through her body, a warmth she never wants to lose. For the first time in a long time she thinks she will be okay. All from a kiss.

A knock at the door breaks them apart. Sanya stands perfectly straight, hands behind her back.

Asami turns to the door. "Come in."

Lin pokes her head in through the door, suspicious eyes inspecting the girls. "Dinner's ready."

The girls do their best to give the chief innocent smiles.

"That doesn't work with me. Your heartbeats are through the roof."

Asami giggles.

"Right, so dinner? Sounds good. I'm just going to wash up." Sanya rushes out of the room past Lin. She takes one look back and smiles at the heiress.

"Would be all right if I made a phone call first?" Asami asks.

Lin nods before walking away, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She walks to the living room, eying the phone in the corner. She picks it up and dials the number to the Sato mansion hoping Bolin will pick up.

"Sato residence, Mako speaking."

Asami's posture drops along with her mood. She has not told Sanya about him. "Hey, it's Asami. Is Bolin around?"

"Umm, yeah I think so."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Yeah, sure."

There is a moment of silence.

"Are you okay over there?" Mako asks.

"Yeah, thanks for asking."

"Right, I'll get Bolin."

She sighs and rolls her eyes, but no anger or sadness fill her today. For that she is grateful.

"Asami! It's about time!" Bolin yells excitedly into the phone.

She cannot help but smile. "Hey, Bo. How are you?"

"Good, good. Everything's all good over here. No crazy parties or anything."

"Right." Asami draws out the word. "Just try not to get too crazy."

"I'm good boy! How are things over there?"

"Fine. I've just been really busy." She wonders if she should tell him that the company would not be able to sponsor the Fire Ferrets anymore, but she does not want to break the boy's heart tonight.

"Will you be coming back soon?"

"I don't know." She rubs her forehead with her hands, thinking of the people living with her in this house. She is not sure she would like to go back.

"Oh, okay. Team avatar isn't the same without you. None of us know how to drive!"

She laughs. "I'll let you know when I'll be back, Bo. I promise. How are things over there?"

"Nothing much going on over here. Mako doesn't seem to want to hang out anymore. Funny thing, I'm friends with Tahno now. He really chilled out after that whole Amon thing."

"Oh," Genuine surprise in her voice. "That's pretty cool."

Sanya walks into the room, hair still wet from her shower. She wears a similar set of clothes as Asami, in white. The heiress beams as the water bender winks at her. She returns the gesture.

"What about you? Made any new friends over there?"

Asami watches Sanya walk out of the room, staring at her back tattoos through her shirt. "Umm, yeah. I made a couple."

"I bet they'll miss you when you come back."

Asami's grin disappears as a frown takes its place. "Yeah, maybe." She cannot imagine leaving this house now.

"But we'll be glad to have you back! Team avatar will be complete once again!" His enthusiasm roars.

Asami gives him a fake laugh. "Yeah. Well, I have to go. The chief is getting impatient. I'll talk to you soon okay? Take care Bo."

Bolin says his goodbyes before she hangs up.

She walks into the dining area. Pebble wears his small apron as he carries dishes to the table from the kitchen. Lin sits at one end of the table, her mother taking her place at the opposite end. Lin tries her best to suppress a smile as she mother teases her. Sanya sits with her legs crossed on the chair near an empty seat, adjacent of Lin. She perks up at the site of Asami. Pebble takes the seat next to her after he places a basket of bread rolls on the table. Sanya slouches, her mouth curls into a pout. Asami giggles and takes a seat opposite the water bender. Jet whines as he circles the table, hoping for a scrap of food. Pebble sates the wolf with a large bowl of raw meat placed on the floor near the entrance to the kitchen.

They rarely ate dinner together. Each one of them would eat when they were hungry, occasionally eating with another. She did not know why they decided to eat together tonight.

"What's the occasion?" Asami asks as Pebble hands her the basket of bread.

"You, kiddo." Toph replies with a mouth full of noodles.

Asami is dumbfounded. "What?" Her eyes dart from Toph to Lin to Sanya.

"I know you think you might've failed down there, that it didn't work. But you did really good kid. Just thought we'd do something nice for you." Lin says.

"Plus, it gave me an excuse to try out these new recipes." Pebble adds, pride laces his deep voice.

"You gave up living the life of a billionaire to come here and crawl into a hole without one complaint. You remind me of a younger me, kiddo." Toph adds.

Sanya sits before her, beaming, as she pushes food around her plate.

"I don't know what you did, but you got this one to stop being so reckless." Lin tilts her head in Sanya's direction. "I haven't gotten one call about her since you came. Well, aside from that water tower incident."

Blood rushes to the water bender's face. "It was an emergency!"

Lin punches the girl in the arm.

"You're going to say something. Don't argue, you should know by now how stubborn we Beifong women are. So, hush up and eat!" Toph exclaims.

Asami obeys as she takes a bite out of a roll.

They ate dinner mostly in silence. Toph or Sanya cracked a joke every now and then, keeping the table lively. Lin constantly teased Sanya about the four bowls of noodles she ate. Pebble's hardy cackle never failed to put a smile on Asami's face. The Beifongs teased the girls all night, but Asami wouldn't have it any other way.

They sit around the dining table with steaming cups of tea. Jet lies under Sanya's chair, fatigued from his feast. Asami watches the steam from her tea dance above her cup, watching Sanya from her peripheral vision. The other girl keeps her head down, occasionally looking up to meet Asami's gaze.

"So, you were down there for a while. What happened?" Toph breaks the silence.

"Mother! Leave her be. She probably doesn't want to talk about it." Lin exclaims.

"No, no. It's all right." Asami adds.

Everyone settles into their chair. Even Jet seems to rise from his nearly comatose state to listen to her.

"Well, there isn't much to tell. I couldn't see a thing."

"Man, I know how that feels." Toph chuckles to herself.

Lin sighs with exasperation and hides her face in her hands. Pebble's hardy laugh fills the room.

"I just kept going. I didn't think I could do it. To be completely honest, I wanted to quit as soon it got dark." She continues when the room quiets down.

She looks around the room. Lin leans into her chair, eyes on her tea. Her mother's eyes stare straight ahead, looking for something they will never see. Pebble, like a mountain of flesh, sits idly by. Sanya fidgets in her seat as she pulls on her arm sleeves. She can see tuffs of Jet's fur peeking up from behind the table. These are the faces that helped her get through the darkness.

"I just kept going until I found that clearing. I sat. I waited. I listened. A badger mole came by and told me to follow it. I didn't know they could talk."

"They can't." Toph adds. "Not in the way you and I talk. They communicate using vibrations in the earth."

"Oh." Asami's bewilderment manifests on her face. "Well, I followed it. And…" Her voice trails off.

She remembers the conversation with her mother. Downcast eyes avoid contact with wandering gazes. She can still hear her mother's disembodied voice. A wave of glumness overcomes her. "I heard, I think I heard, my mother speaking to me. I don't know." She covers her eyes with her hand and promptly looks away.

She did not want to be seen crying whilst sitting at a table with some of the strongest women she knows. Her conversation with her mother plays over and over in her mind. She still does not understand how she heard her mother's voice in that cave. She refuses to believe it was real, yet she would love for it to be true.

Soft fur tickles her arm. Jet whines, resting his head on her lap.

"Hey." Sanya's voice is soft.

Asami turns to see the water bender beside her. She stares into the comforting pools of sapphire that are her eyes, wondering how someone with so much pain can still be so full of compassion. She looks down to see Sanya's open hand, asking for hers. She takes it.

"You don't have to tell us." Lin says as she leans onto the table.

Asami nods. "How was that possible? Why did I hear her?"

Lin sighs and runs her hands through her hair. "I don't know kid."

"Linnora, tell her what you told me when you came out of the cave."

Lin's eyes keep their contact with Asami's. "I heard my uncle Aang."

Sanya does not move. The heiress feels the water bender squeeze her hand.

"He told me to take care of my mother, to take care of my family." She pauses. Emerald eyes search the ceiling for a memory. "He told me being strong doesn't always mean being a rock. Because even rocks will wither away if they stand still for too long." Her voice is soft.

Asami watches the chief. Her features have softened. She is no longer the steel faced woman she admires, but rather a sorrowful young girl. For a moment, Asami sees herself. Green eyed woman mourning the loss of her family.

"I don't know how it works either kiddo, but it does." Toph adds. "The first few times I went to see the badger moles I didn't hear anyone's voice. Not anyone I knew anyway. It told me I was a rock, let the water shape me." A somber smile grows on her face. "If I'd understood then, I wouldn't have been such a brat to Katara and Sokka."

Pebble sniffles in his seat. "I just love you all so much." The man's voice is higher than usual.

The women let out small laughs.

"Oh, might as well." Toph rises from her seat and throws her arms around Asami and Sanya. Pebble excitedly joins the embrace. Jet scurries out of the way as the man's massive arms nearly lift the girl's off their seats. Asami can't help but grin at the sudden display of affection. Lin stays in her seat, eying the group.

"Come on Lin, you're part of the group too!" Toph says playfully.

The chief rolls her eyes. She gets up and puts an arm around her mother.

Pebble gives them all one large, sob filled squeeze before letting go. "We should all do that more often." He says as he heads back into the kitchen.

"I haven't done that since the gang was still together." Toph adds as she keeps her arm around her daughter.

"The gang?" Asami inquires.

"The 'gAang.' Get it? Because Avatar Aang? And they were a team." Sanya tries to explain as she wipes a tear from her smiling face. "I don't know. Grumps thought of it."

Toph shrugs. "We all just went with it." She begins to leave the room. "I'm off to bed. I'll see you all in the morning."

Lin begins to follow. "You better get some rest too. We'll be training again tomorrow."

Asami nods. She and Sanya rise from their seats.

"I'm gonna stay up and help Pebble." She looks down to find Jet already half asleep under the table.

"All right. I'll see you in the morning." Asami says.

"Good night." The water bender

She turns to leave the room, feeling Sanya's eyes on her. She chews on her lip as she contemplates her next move. She turns around and hastily walks back to Sanya. She gives the other girl a quick kiss on the lips . "Good night."

She lies awake in her bed, unmoving and silent. Asami has been lost in thought since she got to her room. Her mother is all she can think about. She throws her blanket aside and makes her way to the armoire. Opening it's large wooden doors, she picks up a small shoe box beneath all her clothes. She pushes aside small trinkets. Pearls on a broken necklace slide around the bottom of the box. She pulls out a small photo of her mother, a young Asami sits at her knee. Her younger self has a goofy grin on her face, a sharp contrast to her mother's small elegant smile. Her mother wears a string of pearls. She remembers the day the photo was taken. Her mother begged and pleaded with her to stay clean all day for the photo. She did not want to do it then, but now she is thankful she agreed.

She takes the photo and stuffs the box under her clothes. Asami reaches into her coat pocket, feeling for two small foil wrapped cubes. She quietly makes her way out of her room, being careful not to wake anyone. She bumps into a body as she closes her room's door. She turns quickly to find Sanya completely still, clutching a piece of paper to her chest, two sticks of incense stick out from the waistband of her shorts.

Asami opens her mouth to say something, but decides against it. Sanya looks down at the photo of Asami and her mother. She takes the paper she clutches to her chest and turns it over. An older man holds a laughing toddler. The sides of his head are shaved while the top remains tied back, greying in the center. He wears white arm sleeves. His Water Tribe attire fits him well. Beside him, a woman stands tall dressed in the uniform of a Kyoshi warrior. Her face is bare, save for a wide grin. She rests her arm on the man beside her while using her free hand to tickle the child.

Asami nods and tip toes down the corridor. She cannot hear Sanya behind her, but she knows the water bender is following. They slip out the kitchen door and make their way to the lake. They walk side by side in silence. Each looking down at their photograph.

The girls walk to the far end of the lake. They sit in the grass next to the water. Asami is unsure of what to say, but she is perfectly content sitting in silence. She watches Sanya gather nearby rocks. She stacks them up into a small tower and places her photograph against the rocks. Asami decides to do the same. She stares at her mother. She always admired her elegance. Her hair was perfectly done, not a strand out of place. She wears a hair clip to match her necklace. Her eyes look down at her daughter. She isn't angry that the child is not serious. She is happy that her daughter is happy. The water bender fixes a stick of incense beside her photograph and the other beside Asami's. She takes a single match, strikes it against a rock and lights the sweet smelling sticks.

"She was beautiful." Sanya says, resting her head on her arms with her knees tucked in under her chin. "You look like her."

The heiress smiles. "Thank you."

Asami continues to stare at the photograph, trying hard to remember everything about her mother. She knows the water bender is watching her.

Sanya keeps her eyes on Asami's photograph. She moves closer to the heiress, motion for her to scoot over. Despite her confusion, she complies.

Sanya straightens her back while sitting cross legged. She folds her hands in her lap. "Hello, Mrs. Sato. It's nice to finally meet you. Although, I wish it were under better circumstances. Err, my name is Sanya and I care about your daughter very much."

"What are you doing?" Asami's voice is low but laced with perplextion.

Sanya holds up a finger to silence her. Her cheeks begin to redden. "I know I'm not super rich or super famous and my family's a little… Strange, but they raised me pretty well." She clears her throat. "I think you're very beautiful ma'am. I can see where your daughter gets her beauty from. I hope you're doing well. Things here aren't so good right now, but I promise I won't let anything happen to Asami." She pauses, chewing on her lip.

Asami can see her brain working. The other girl raises her hand. A stream of water lazily floats to her hand. The stream lands before Asami's photo, morphing itself into a bouquet of roses before freezing solid.

"I heard you like flowers. I'm sorry this is the best I can do. Pebble gets mad when I mess with his garden you see."

Asami is frozen in awe. She wants to cry. She wants to tackle the water bender to the ground and hold her in a tight embrace. She wants to join in on the conversation. Her eyes dart from Sanya staring intently at Asami's photograph to Sanya's photograph.

She gets to her feet and takes a seat before the picture. "Ma'am. Sir. My name is Asami Sato and I care about your granddaughter very much." She can see Sanya staring at her from the corner of her eye. "I know my father has done some horrible things, but please don't think I'm like him. I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt your granddaughter." She places the two cubes beside the photograph. "I'm sorry it isn't much, it's all I have right now." She leans closer to the photo. "I can see where Sanya gets her pretty smile and big heart." She knows the water bender is flushing red.

"Copycat." Sanya teases.

Asami is beaming. She tries to punch Sanya, but the other girl moves aside. Asami thinks she might fall, but steady hands catch her. The heiress steadies herself. Sanya leans back with her hands on the grass.

Asami sits close, nearly resting on the other girl's arm.

"You were adorable." Sanya says playfully. "Is she the reason why you wear your hair clip all the time?"

The heiress stares at her mother. "I think so. I always thought she was the prettiest woman in the world. I wanted to be just like her. It belong to her, so I wear it all the time."

"I like your hair like this. Without the clip."

Asami runs her hand through her hair.

"But, I like with the clip too. Don't get me wrong. I think you'd be the most beautiful girl in the world either way." Sanya adds.

Asami cannot help but blush. She bites back a smirk, but it is too overpowering. Sanya leans away from her, trying to hide her reddened cheeks. She tugs at her arm sleeves.

"You're not so bad yourself." The heiress focuses on the focuses on the younger Sanya. She can see strands of white hair beginning to grow on her head. "You were a very cute baby. Look at those cheeks!" She teases.

"Grumps used to call me foo foo cuddly poops." She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "Why did I just tell you that?"

Asami laughs. Sanya joins her despite her attempts to suppress the laughter.

"Is he the reason why you wear those all the time?" She points to the water bender's arm sleeves.

The smile quickly fades from Sanya's face. She tries her best to regain it, but her eyes deceive her mouth's false gesture.

Asami begins to worry as panic rises in her.

"Umm, kind of." Sanya keeps her eyes down.

She slips off her arm sleeves. A long faded scar encircles both her arms above the wrist like a bracelet. Smaller scars adorn her arms. Some have recently healed.

Asami is in shock. She had no idea the girl hid so many scars. "Aunt Toph told me what happened to your grandparents. Did this happen then…" Her voice is soft and slow.

Sanya nods, refusing to make eye contact with the the heiress. "The big ones. The smaller ones were me. You would have found out sooner or later."

The heiress can only imagine the sort of pain she endured to have the will to scratch herself raw. "Oh Sanya." Asami takes the other girl's wrist and gently kisses her scars. She holds onto Sanya's hands, desperately hoping the girl will look at her.

Sanya finally looks up. "I didn't want you to think,"

"Whatever it is that you thought I would think or say is probably wrong. So, I'm going to hug you now. Is that okay?"

Sanya lets out a small laugh before agreeing. Asami pulls the water bender in by the wrists and wraps her arms around her neck. She squeezes tightly, hoping somehow her embrace will heal the scars. The other girl's arm wraps around her torso and she feels a familiar warmth. She breathes in the scent of lavender and lilies. She feels as though she might fall asleep in Sanya's arms.

"I know you want to apologize. Please don't." Asami says.

Sanya releases her grip, a somber smile on her face. "I was right."

"About?"

"We would end up just apologizing to each other all the time."

The heiress giggles, hiding her face in her hand.

Sanya pushes aside the melting bouquet of flowers and picks up Asami's photo. "I don't want it to get ruined." She hands her the photograph, brushing off specks of dirt that hang onto the edges.

The heiress leans back and takes the foil wrapped cubes and Sanya's photograph. "Might as well eat these." She hands the other girl the picture and one cube. "They're my favorite."

She watches Sanya unwrap the treat, revealing the dark chocolate underneath.

She looks up before placing the chocolate in her mouth. "Cherries?"

Asami nods.

"I'm allergic to cherries!" The water bender's eyes widen

Asami's jaw drops, panic clouds her mind.

Sanya falls over in laugher. "I'm just kidding."

The heiress snatches the other girl's arm sleeves and begins playfully hitting her with them. Sanya tries to shield herself from the light hearted assault. She falls over onto the grass. Asami takes advantage and continues to hit the other girl.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It was a stupid joke."

The heiress lies down on the grass beside Sanya, stopping her assault. Sanya extends her arms, seemingly studying her arms. Asami keeps her eyes on her face, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty in her simplicity. No make-up. No cover-ups. No false face. Asami touches her own face, remembering the amount of make-up she used to wear. She smiles to herself. She takes Sanya's arm sleeves and slips them onto the girl's arm, smoothing them out slowly. She can feel the raised skin of the large scars over the sleeve.

"Thank you" Sanya's voice is low.

Sanya's face quickly turns bright pink. She looks away, doing her best to avoid eye contact.

"What's wrong?" Asami moves hair out of her face.

Sanya is silent. Asami worries that she might have done something wrong. She begins to move back, but is halted by a gentle arm.

"It's just you're so pretty. It's like I can't even look at you when you're this close without burning up." She covers her face with her hands.

Asami peals back the water bender's hands. Her smile is beaming. "You don't think I might feel the same?" Her heart begins to beat faster.

The water bender opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. Asami watches her eyes dart back and forth. She watches her mouth twitch. She watches the way her eyebrows move. She takes not of the small scars on Sanya's chin and right eyebrow. If she ever has to go back into that badger mole cave, if she ever has to travel through pitch darkness again, she would have a clear picture of her face.

Sanya laughs. "I can only dream that you do." She chews on her lip.

Asami can see a thought forming in her mind.

"Earlier today, when you woke up…"

Asami forces Sanya to look at her. They say nothing. A million thoughts run through her head, she is frozen. Sanya tucks a lock of hair behind Asami's ear. She takes the water bender's hand and holds it. Her skin is hot, making her palms sweat. She can feel Sanya's breath on her lips. She forgets that anything is wrong in the world. She forgets her heartache. She forgets her father. If Asami could freeze time, she would.

Sanya places her finger on Asami's lips, shaking her head no. "Not when your mom is watching." A playful grin on her face.

"Don't forget grumps and gran."

Sanya takes Asami's face in her hands and gives her a quick peck on the cheek. The girls get to their feet, each picking up their photographs. They leave the small towers of rocks behind knowing they will return to this spot. The girls walk back to the house. Asami looks down at the photo of her mother and for the first time she does not feel sadness. She feels content.


	5. Chapter 5

School is getting stressful, so I don't know when I'll be able to write the next chapter. Forgive me for the delay.

The past week was grueling for Asami. Lin took over her training the morning she woke up after her trip to the badger mole cave. They have been out in the backyard all morning and most of the afternoon, taking no time off off for breaks. Lin screams instructions at Asami as she dodges chunks of earth. She does not wear Lin's metal bending uniform today, as per Lin's instructions for her not to wear it. She has not worn it all week. She can feel her exhaustion slowly taking over her. She becomes sloppy. Asami does her best to push a pillar of stone past a line Lin drew on the ground. She puts all her body weight into her shoulder as she pushes it.

Lin's screaming voice fills her ears. "Come on kid! You can do better than that!"

The heiress grunts with frustration. Asami is grateful the sun is not out today, large grey clouds save her from burning sunlight. She continues to push the stone slab. It pushes back. In a fit of frustration, Asami yells and kicks the stone slab. She turns around with a heavy breath. She puts her hands on her hips, staring at the kitchen door. She sees Toph and Pebble out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey! I didn't tell you to stop!" Lin screams.

"Well, I'm stopping!"

Toph and Pebble freeze, watching the scene that is about to unfold.

Asami uses her shirt to wipe sweat off her face. She can hear Lin walk toward her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm tried." Asami's voice trembles with frustration.

"I didn't ask if you were tired."

"Well, I'm telling you that I am. I haven't had a break since we started."

The women stare each other down. Asami does her best not to show any fear in her eyes, but Lin's steel gaze is unrelenting. She does not understand why the woman has been so hard on her lately.

"Hey, what's going on here!" Toph breaks the tension between the two.

"Linnora, you've been really hard on her lately. Perhaps she could do with a break." Pebble adds.

"How is ever going to get any better if she doesn't train?" Lin's voice rises.

"I'm doing the best I can." Asami says through her teeth.

"If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Lin says.

Asami's anger fumes. "I'm not a bender Lin! I can't do the things you want me to do that are so easy for you! Because I'm not like you!" She storms off.

"Linnora, let her go. You both need to cool off." Toth says to her daughter.

Asami hastily walks into the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water. Anger still courses through her veins. She cannot understand why Lin feels the need to push her so hard. _'It's not like I've been slacking off.'_ She thinks to herself. She leans on the kitchen counter, rubbing her forehand. Guilt begins to replace anger. The Beifongs have been nothing but welcoming. They have treated her not as a guest, but like one of their own.

"Hey."

Asami's train of thought is derailed. She looks up to find Sanya standing in the doorway. She carries three large books in one hand and a half eaten bun in the other.

"Hey." Asami softly replies.

"Something wrong?" Sanya places her books on the the counter.

She whistles. Jet comes into the room, takes the half eaten bun, and leaves. Asami shakes her head no as the water bender walks toward her.

Sanya leans onto the counter beside her, crossing her arms and ankle. "I'm going to go ahead and assume Lin did and or said something."

Asami does not move, lightly biting the edge of her glass.

"Judging by the dirt and sweat on you, you were just training with her. And, since she's still out there," She leans back to look out the window. "With Aunt Toph… I'm guessing you two got into an argument?"

Asami caves. "I don't know why she's being so hard on me lately. I'm not a bender, I can't do things she wants me to do. Am I being punished for something?"

Sanya nods. "She can be like that. It just seems like she's asking for the impossible."

"Exactly."

"Aunt Toph did that to me too. I hated her for it. But, she never asked me to do something I couldn't do. I just didn't think I could do it." Sanya pauses. "Oh no, I sound like Aunt Katara! Stop me before I tell you my whole life story about hope and never giving up!" False panic in her voice.

Asami laughs.

"She just doesn't know how to do it anyway else and I know she can be very motherly. I'm sorry for that. But, she really cares about you. We all do. As cliche as this may sound, we all have faith in you."

The heiress is silent, taking in everything the girl just said. "Thank you so much for that."

"No problem. I am pretty good at motivational speeches aren't I?" Sanya is playfully proud of herself.

She wants to correct the water bender, to tell her she was not thanking her for just the speech.

"You're cute when you're mad. But you're absolutely stunning when you smile. So, can I have a smile?"

Asami involuntarily grants Sanya's request with flushed cheeks.

"Thank you! But I should be going. Looks like you'll have new company soon." Sanya gently squeezes Asami's arm.

Lin walks in through the kitchen door. "Where were you?" She asks Sanya.

"With friends." She picks up her books.

"You have friends?" Lin jokingly inquires.

Sanya mocks her with a bratty smile as she makes her way out of the room.

Lin leans on the wall with her arms crossed. Asami stands motionless with her glass of water.

"Hey, I'm sorry," They both say in unison.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stormed off like that."

"No. I'm sorry. I did take it a bit far. I shouldn't have pushed you so much."

They stand in silence. Asami is unsure of her next move, but her mouth speaks before her mind can think.

"No, no Lin really. I'm so sorry. You and your family have been the best and I was just rude. I know you wouldn't ask me to do anything you didn't think I could do."

Lin holds up a hand, silencing the heiress. "It's all right, kid. I was at fault too. Get cleaned up. I'll go get us some dinner. Fish okay with you?"

Asami nods.

The phone rings in the other room. Lin goes to answer it. Asami tries not to eavesdrop, but her ears have become much more sensitive to sound since the she went to the cave.

"How bad is it?" Lin's voice is serious.

"I understand. Anywhere else in the city?"

A pause.

"Do you have any idea why just there in particular?"

Lin runs her hand through her hair, sighing in frustration. "It all just seems so familiar."

Asami's heart begins to beat faster. She wonders if there was another attack.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. And Mai, please be careful."

Lin hangs up. Asami does her best to act as though she was not listening.

The metal bender walks into the kitchen. "Get dressed. There's been another attack. They fear it'll get worse."

Asami nods. She follows Lin to the corridor, making her way to her room.

"Wait." Lin says as she opens the door to her room.

The heiress is still, waiting for the woman to return.

Lin rushes out of her room holding a white box. "No use in you using my old equipment. I had this done for you, I hope it fits. I had to steal some of your clothes to use as a guide." Lin turns to Sanya's door. "Sanya! Suit up!" She bangs on the door twice before rushing down the corridor.

She puts the box on her bed, lifting the top portion. A new metal bending uniform lies under sheets of wax paper. The top is accented with dark red instead of the yellow on Lin's uniform. Blood red gears are embroidered on the biceps. It feels lighter than the one she is used to working with. She turns it over to find that Lin has used a lighter material for her cables. Asami is in awe of how well made it is and how well Lin knows her sense of style. She quickly undresses and puts on her new clothes. It more form fitting than the Lin's old uniform. The bottoms are tight around her leg, allowing her boots to easily slip over them. Asami doesn't bother with her hair as she rushes out her door.

Lin stands fully dressed in the living room accompanied by her mother, Pebble, and Jet.

"Looks good." The metal bender throws a casual compliment toward Asami.

"Thanks."

"Oh, is she wearing the thing? I helped, you know." Toph adds with a grin.

"You criticized every decision I made about it." Lin protests.

"It's called constructive criticism."

Lin shakes her head as Sanya walks into the room. She wears her water bending top, boomerang slung over her shoulder, and has pulled back the white portion of her hair, Asami knows she's ready to fight.

"This is nice, you look good." Sanya touches Asami's shoulder. She looks to Lin as she asks, "What exactly is going on?"

"The equalists are attacking again. Mai is trying to keep it under control, but she's asking for our help. She's says it's worse than last time around."

"What about Chan?" Sanya asks.

"He was hurt pretty bad last time. He's not taking any risks this time around. He's coordinating with the police, helping them get organized."

Sanya nods in understanding.

"Pebble, I'm gonna need you to come with us. There are casualties and injured. I'll need help getting them out. Can you come with us?"

"Of course."

"Bring Jet with you. That nose of his might come in handy." Lin adds.

"I'm coming too."

"Mother, no. You have to stay here."

"Hey! I may be old, but I can still handle myself in a fight!"

"Mother,"

"Linnora, you're wasting time arguing with me."

Lin throws her arms in the air as a sign of surrender. "All right, lets go people."

The group rushes outside.

Sanya gets to her knees, petting Jet. "Do whatever Pebble says, okay? Be good and take care of him."

The wolf gives her a head butt before bounding off to follow Pebble.

Lin's outstretched hand holds the keys to the car.

The heiress shakes her head no. "I don't think I should." She says softly.

She hasn't driven a car since the night in the alley back in Republic City. Just the sight of a Satomobile makes her uneasy.

Lin nods and she gets into the driver's seat. Sanya takes hold of the door handle for the back seat, stepping aside allowing Asami to enter.

"Thanks. You don't have to do that you know." The heiress laughs.

"Yes she does!" Toph jokes as she enter's the passenger seat.

Lin begins to drive away from the home, Pebble following in a different model of a Satomobile.

"Where are we going?" Sanya asks.

Asami watches the wind blow through the water bender's hair, wishing she could watch it all evening.

"The area near the Earth Rumble arena."

"Earth Rumble?" Asami's interest is draw away from Sanya's hair.

"You used to watch pro-bending right? It's like that but it's only earth benders." Lin explains.

"It's pretty awesome. Aunt Toph won it three years in a row!" There is genuine pride in Sanya's voice.

"Well, this was back when it was in Gaoling. I was ten when I won my first belt. Twelve when I won my last one."

Asami's jaw drops. She always knew the earth bending master was powerful, but never that powerful.

"I probably would have won more if I didn't have to save the world with Twinkle Toes and his Sugar Queen." She feigns nonchalance. "Lin here won it once, when she was seventeen."

"Oh really? Tell me about it." Asami teases.

"She made me do it." Lin points to her mother. "I was seventeen. I wanted to shut her up. So, I did it. I met Pebble there."

"I didn't know he is an earth bender."

"He's not. His dad was a friend of mine, called himself the Boulder. I totally kicked his butt in the arena by the way. He had no where to go since his dad passed so he stayed with me. Never gave me any trouble, that boy."

"He worked at the arena, making sure everything was all right up top and underground. We became friends and that was that. And before you ask, yes just friends. He doesn't like girls. Or boys actually." Lin shrugs.

"Underground…" Asami says to herself. "How big is this arena?" She asks.

"Much bigger than the pro-bending arena in Republic City."

Sanya sits up a little straighter. Asami can see an idea forming in her head. "Do you think they might be keeping things under the arena? And that's why they attacked the shops nearby?"

"Maybe. But why would they attack so close to where they hide?" Toph asks. "I mean, I know it's easy to bribe those arena guys but, do you think it's possible?"

Asami's mind begins to work. Her father hid his secret factory in a place Asami would have never expected.

"Because that's how my father works. He will hide things in the most obvious of places because you can't see what's right under your nose." She rests her head in her hand.

There is silence in the car. Asami watches the world go by as Lin drives faster. The sky becomes a darker shade of grey as they make their way through a suburban neighborhood. She does not think she can face her father today. Or any day. She knows the day will come when she has to fight him again. She feels as though things will never work out for her in the future because she will forever be in her father's shadow.

Sanya huffs, crossing her arms. "What a booger."

"Sanya!" Lin scolds her.

Toph laughs in the front seat.

"I'm sorry!" She turns to Asami. "I'm sorry. I don't even know why I said it."

The heiress laughs. "It's okay. He really is."

The light mood in the car is quickly extinguished as thunder booms around them. The sound of yelling and cars screeching reaches them before they see the wreckage. Whole sections of buildings have been taken out. The sharp smell of smoke fills their lungs. Asami covers face with her mouth as the smoke burns her nose. Lin slows down, taking in every inch of the wreckage.

"Lin, what's the plan?" Sanya asks.

Lin stops the car and looks back. "You actually want a plan now?" Actual surprise in her voice.

Sanya shrugs, worry on her face as she quickly glances at Asami.

A familiar face runs toward the car as they all step out. Pebble and Jet soon join then.

"Mai, what's happened here? It's a mess."

Asami stands near the car, watching Mai's face. Her hair is tied back, but strands of hair have come loose. She wears the dark green uniform of the Ba Sing Se police force, a stark contrast from the outfit Asami saw her wear the first time they met.

"We're spread thin. We've called for back up from surrounding towns but I don't know how soon they can get here. They came out of no where, we were caught off guard." She wipes soot from her sweaty face. "Thank's for coming. I've been chi blocked so I'm useless out here. Can't even bend a single flame."

"You're not useless." Lin pats her shoulder. "Where are they now?"

"We don't know they retreated. We've set up a small office in that building over there." She points behind her. "I can show you what we know."

Lin nods. "Li, take Jet and look for people in those buildings." She points to the nearest ones.

Pebble nods, patting the wolf's back and making his way to the buildings.

Lin turns to her mother. "Mother, are you coming?"

"Nah, tell me later." She begins to walk away. "I'm gonna take a look around." She turns, pointing at the women. "Don't give me that look! You know what I mean."

Lin shrugs and follows Mai. "Sanya, put out those fires." She points to the water bender without looking at her.

Asami walks away from the car, taking in the scene. The sky is dark as thunder booms. She clutches onto her arms as she watches small fires burn. The ground has been upturned, chunks of concrete litter the once perfect road. Her mind begins to race at the thought of her father showing up. She does not know what she will do.

"Asami?"

She turns to find Sanya standing with her hands behind her back. "I think you'll need this more than me." She holds out her boomerang."

"Sanya, I can't take this. It was your grandfather's."

"I think he would rather have you use it for good than Jet and I using it as a toy." She smirks.

"Are you sure?"

Sanya nods. "Take good care of it."

Asami takes the boomerang and slings it over her shoulder so it rests snuggly on her back. "Thank you."

"I have to go put out those fires." She squeezes Asami's arm. "It'll be okay." She runs off to tend to the fires.

Asami watches her, remembering the ball of fire that nearly knocked her out. That ball of fire extinguished itself as soon as it hit Toph's wall of earth. These fires burn on concrete. Her heart races at the thought of the equalists returning with more fire power. She watches Sanya water bend a stream of water onto one of the fires. It does not go water bender stands with a hand on her hip, scratching her head in confusion. Asami chews on her lip, the gears in her mind grinding to think of why these fires refuse to be put out.

Sanya tries again with a larger stream of water. The fire spreads. Sanya falls on her bottom, watching the fire.

Lin walks out of the building. "Sanya! I told you to put them out, not make them bigger!" she screams.

"I'm trying but they won't go out!"

The heiress remembers an incident in one of the factories. A fire broke out, but the workers did not use water to put it out. They used sand.

"Wait!" She yells as she runs toward Lin and Sanya.

"Lin, you have to do it. Water won't work. They've probably used some sort of oil. Water will only make it spread. But earth will put it out." The words spill out of her mouth.

She keeps eyes contact with the metal bender as she catches her breath.

"Mother!" Lin screams.

Toph appears near the car.

"Don't cause any trouble." Lin continues. "You too." Her steel gaze directed toward Sanya.

The girls walk toward Toph.

"Did you find anything?"

"Something's off. I don't know what it is. I can't quite put my foot on it. Literally."

The girls nod. They watch Pebble and Jet exit the building. The large man carrying limp bodies in his arms. One of the women in a police uniform greets him. He shakes his head no and motions back into the building. Asami's heart drops. She cannot understand how her father can so careless with lives, when he lost his wife to such careless behavior.

"Hey! Something's coming!" Toph yells.

Lin, Pebble, and Jet runs toward the car.

"I felt it too." Lin says to her mother.

"What is it?" Asami asks.

Before anyone can answer, a loud mechanical growling comes from down the street. Asami cannot help but wonder if she will see her father again, or at least, the man who looked like him.

"Lin, plan?" Asami is anxious.

Before the metal bender can respond a loud explosion rocks the street. Asami's ears are ringing as debris falls on her. She grabs Sanya's arm to steady herself. Toph is unmoving before her.

"Okay, here's the plan. Don't die!" Lin shouts.

Asami turns to see familiar equalist mechs making waste of intact buildings down the street. Masked attackers charge on foot. Large vans unload more of them.

"Why would they come back here? It doesn't make sense." Sanya's eyes are transfixed on the equalists. "They've already made their point here, why would they come back?"

Asami begins to wonder the same thing. They had no reason to come back to this street. It is already completely destroyed.

Sanya shrugs and runs toward the battle. Asami looks around for Toph, but the master earth bender is no where to be found.

She moves as quickly as she can, unleashing her cables as she moves forward. Pebble effortlessly tosses a masked equalist into the air. She looks around for the wolf, but cannot find him. She hurls a cable toward the nearest masked attacker. He grunts as Asami's cable pulls his feet out from under him. With a flick of the wrist she sends him flying into into a car. Two more attackers run toward her, from the corner of her eye she sees three more charging. Their electric batons fill the air around her with a sharp buzzing. She takes a deep breath. Standing on her toes, she makes for the two in front of her. She imagines they are stones pillars back home. Home. She feels the Beifong residence is more of a home than Republic City. Her mouth curls into a small grin as she swiftly takes out the two attackers. Three more come at her, swing their batons. She is hit in the ribs by an elbow. Normally this would cause her to fall. Not today. Asami swiftly retaliates with a knee to the stomach while simultaneously punching another right between the eyes. The third assailant puts up a fight. She knows they know who she is. She knows they think she's a traitor to their cause. She knows they want her to be punished. Asami wraps a cable around her attacker then quickly pulls it back, causing the equalist to spin into a nearby wall.

Asami turns around looking for Toph and the wolf. She somehow feels a sense of responsibility for them. Lin moves like lightning across the street, sending chunks of earth and metal into the mechs. She can see frustration in the metal bender's eyes.

The air is knocked out of Asami's lungs as a kick hits her upper back. She falls to her knees, doing her best to catch her breath. She looks up to see three more equalists standing before her.

One of them laughs. "The boss'll be happy. Don't bother getting up princess."

Asami grits her teeth. The middle equalist raises an electric baton and begins to swing down. Asami raises her arm and braces herself for the attack.

"Don't tell her what to do!" Sanya screams as she slides between Asami and her attacker.

The water bender fashions a circular shield out of ice. The baton should have shattered the ice, but Sanya's shield is strong. She pushes the the attacker back. Sanya gets to her feet, a thin stream of water runs down her hand. It freezes into a long sword. With skilled hands she quickly knocks down one of them.

"Stay down, catch your breath. I got this!" Sanya screams as she swiftly takes down two more equalists with her frozen weapons.

She drops the shield and sword. As they melt, the water flies back into the tubes in her jacket. Asami gets to her feet.

"You all right?" Sanya asks, dusting off Asami's shoulder.

She nods yes. "Nice trick." She teases.

Sanya shrugs with a proud smile on her face. Before she can utter a word, an equalist lands a flurry of punches on Sanya's back. Asami knows that motion all too well, Sanya has been chi blocked. The water bender turns quickly as four more equalists appear.

"Rude!" Sanya yells. "Go help Lin! I can handle them."

With lightning fast fists, Sanya single handedly takes down two of her assailants. Asami knows the girl can handle herself. She throws a cable toward the nearest equalist, throwing them to the ground. She looks to her right to see Pebble. His shirt has been torn off, but the sheer amount of hair on his body makes it loos as though he wears a sweater made of hair. He tosses a large slab of concrete at an equalist van.

Lin single handedly takes down an equalist mech. Asami pauses and braces herself as it falls. Three more mechs begin firing. Balls of fire fly over head, spreading into a wall of flames as they hit the ground. Asami keeps moving. She twits her body to the side to avoid a baton. Before she is on her feet she unleashes a cable and hits her attacker square in the chest. Her attacker tumbles back, nearly falling into a fire. She hesitates. She throws a cable, latching onto the equalist's legs. She pulls the cable back, making sure her foot connects with the equalist's skull. This person may be an enemy, but she is not as reckless with lives as her father.

A hurricane of thoughts fills her mind. She wonders about Toph and Jet. She tries not to worry so much about Sanya, but the task proves to be difficult. She takes down two more equalists with ease. There are more of them, but they are easier to take down. She had no idea so many felt so negatively against benders. She stops to catch her breath, looking back at the path of unconscious bodies. A drop of water hits her face. She thinks nothing of it. Another drop hits her forehead. She looks down to see the ground being littered by raindrops.

"Lin!" She scrams as she runs toward the metal bender. "Put out the fires!"

Lin does not hesitate. She bends a giant slab of earth and rolls it down the street to put out the fires. The downpour becomes heavier.

Anger grows in Asami. They were waiting for the rain, knowing it would spread the fires. She heads for the nearest mech, unsure if she can take it down by herself. She stays low, running as close to the ground as she can. Her cables dragging on the ground, she throws them around the mech's legs. She pulls on the cables as hard as she can. The mech does not budge.

"Hey! You useless pile of scrap metal! Come get me!" She hears Sanya scream before the girl runs away.

The mech lifts a robotic leg in an attempt to follow Sanya, but it struggles as Asami's cable are wrapped around its legs. The heiress keeps the cables as tight as she can. Her feet begin sliding toward the mech on the wet pavement. Her arms begin to ache. The cables dig into her palms. She groans as her cables creak. The mech begins to fall. She gives it one last pull before releasing. Asami runs toward the mech, jumping onto it's back. She tries to open the latch to the driver's compartment, but it will not budge. She wraps a metal tendril around her fist and punches the latch. The pain in her hand tingles up her arm, she ignores it. The driver collapses out of the compartment. A woman she has seen before, in one of the factories. Asami hesitates.

"Sorry." She whispers as she punches the woman in the face. She sits on the mech's back watching the scene before her. The fires have been extinguished. The Ba Sing Se police force is spread thin, doing their best despite their obvious exhaustion. Sanya and Pebble take down more equalists. She sees Lin near a car. She cuts the car in half, holding her hands out. The metal pieces of the car attach themselves to her closes fists. She slams them together and she runs toward the nearest mech. With uncanny speed and strength, she punches dents into its leg until is creaks. She continues her assault, anger and irritation on her face. Asami knows the metal bender is frustrated she can't bend these monstrous machines. The legs creak and the machine falls. Asami jumps off the equalist mech and runs toward the one Lin has taken down. The driver's latch flips open as the driver wearily climbs out. Before the driver notices, Asami's foot lands heavily on the back of their skull.

"I'm sorry. I know this not the time and things are really serious, but are we going to talk about the fact that auntie turned a car into a pair of gloves!" Sanya yells in sheer excitement and glee. "Lin 'Iron Maiden' Beifong everyone." Sanya jokes.

Asami cannot help but giggle at the girl fawning over her aunt. The women regroup during a lull in the battle.

"Are you two all right?"

The girls nod. Sanya's lower half is covered in mud, her wet hair sticks to her neck and shoulders as the rain continues to pour. The corner of her mouth is bruised, but it does not seem to bother her.

"Where's Jet?" Pebble asks as he joins the girls.

"I saw him run off with my mother. She's near. No need to worry about her."

"What is she doing?" Asami asks with genuine curiosity.

"Listening." Lin answers. "More are coming I can feel it. Keep it up. Stay safe and,"

Before Lin can finish her sentence, a new group of equalists comes running down the street.

"Why are there so many of them?" Pebble says as he charges toward them.

Lin keeps her metal gloves and effortlessly knocks down her attackers, like a cat playing with mice.

Asami is unmoving, watching the next wave. The fear of seeing her father still lingers. Beside her Sanya grunts in frustration. She knows the girl is still chi blocked. She turns to the heiress, flashing a comforting smile. She runs off, joining the fight.

Asami takes a deep breath and reaches behind her. She tosses the boomerang with all her might. Four equalists attack her. She keeps one eye on he boomerang as it knocks out three foes, hitting squarely on the head. She punches and kicks, ignoring any pain inflicted by her attackers. Lin's voice repeats in her head. '_You're made of stone kid. Nothing you can't handle._' Adrenaline flows through her body as she makes her final blows. The equalists fall as she catches the boomerang.

"Wow, it really does always come back." She turns to see another group of equalists running toward tosses the boomerang again. Unleashing her cables, she swings them with determined fury. She shoulders ache and her arms scream with pain. Various bruises on her body make themselves known. She ignores all of it. Metal whips break human bone as rain splatters on the ground. She hears a familiar rumbling behind her. She freezes, taking her time turing toward the noise. Four large mechs slowly make their way down the street. A fifth larger one trudges through the wet streets behind the smaller ones. Asami runs toward Lin and Sanya as they stand dumbfounded at the sight. The Ba Sing Se police force has been exhausted.

Pebble supports a fatigued Mai as her eyes grow with terror. Lin drops her metal gloves and removes her shoes. Asami is in awe of the rage burning in her eyes.

"Sanya?" Lin says softly, turning her head slightly toward her niece.

Sanya shakes her head. "It's raining aunite. I think I'd rather use ice."

Lin nods.

Asami is frozen in panic. She cannot believe how quickly Sanya recovered from being chi-blocked. She cannot believe these two women dare take on these mechs on their own without hesitation.

"Kid." Lin's voice is stern. "If you run into my mother, please take care of her." She says before walking towards her robotic foes.

Sanya bends a dome of water around her before creating large spears of ice.

"Be careful." Asami says to her before she runs off in search of Toph and Jet.

She takes one look back to see giant glaciers of ice and stone attack the mechs.

"Pebble! Any sign of Jet or Aunt Toph yet?"

"I thought I saw Jet earlier, running in one of the buildings." He tilts his chin forward. "But I can't say for certain."

Asami nods. "Are you all right?" She asks Mai.

"Yeah, just a little sore." She looks up at Pebble. "I'm okay now. I have to get the injured out of here. You stay with your family."

Pebble opens his mouth to protest, but no words come out. He nods and makes his way past Asami toward Lin and Sanya.

The heiress does not know where to start to being looking for the earth bender and the wolf. She runs across the street, paying no mind to the equalists she takes down with her snake like metal whips. Before she can make it across the street, half a car hits the ground and knocks her on her back.

She looks up. "It just had to be a Satomobile." She says to herself.

Asami feels as though her brain rattles in her skull. She stays on the ground, waiting for the world to stop shaking. She looks down the street to see a large white wolf growling at three equalists. She tosses the boomerang, knowing Jet cannot resist wanting to catch it. As soon as the wolf is out of the way she quickly gets to her feet and unleashes her cables.

A mech throws another car toward Lin and Sanya. Lin bends the car into a ball and hurls it back at the mech. Sanya hurls icy daggers. One goes down, but the others remain standing. They point their arms toward the women. Jet runs to her, boomerang in his mouth.

"Good boy." Asami pets his head while sheathing the boomerang.

The wolf runs past her into a building.

Asami runs toward the mechs, stopping just behind Sanya and Lin, hoping there is something she can do to help. The mechs release flames from their robotic arms. She knows that despite the rain, anything that comes in contact with that oil will burn and spread. Sanya and Lin are caught off guard. The water bender does her off set the flames with a towering wave, but the women are still knocked to the ground. The mechs lower their arms, the larger one remaining still behind them. They prepare to fire again. A wall of stone rises from the ground before the women.

"Stay away from my babies!" Asami hears a familiar voice.

Toph calmly walks out of a building. He bare feet are covered in mud.

"Mother!"

"Don't argue with me Linnora!"

Toph rolls up her sleeves. Asami helps Lin to her feet. They have no time to talk as they are attacked again. Two slabs of stone appear on either side of one of the mechs, they come together with incredible force. The mech did not stand a chance.

"Mother, you can't bend this type of metal! It's too pure!" Lin argues as she throws a nonstop barrage of stone and metal at the nearest robotic foe.

"Last time someone told me I couldn't do something, I did it." Toph responds.

Lin and Sanya continue their attack. Asami does her best to hurl small chunks of metal, hoping she'll hit something vital. Toph is still as a mountain in the rain. She punches the air. One of the mechs is thrown into the other.

"Ha!" Toph yells with excitement. "Don't ever tell me I can't do something!" She laughs.

The last of the smaller mechs plants itself into the ground. The larger one begins making its way toward the women. Sanya runs toward the smaller mech. Asami can see an equalist hiding near one of its legs.

"Sanya! No!" She runs as fast as her weary legs will carry her.

She is too late. The equalist waits until Sanya is close enough then detonates something in their hand. An explosion rocks the streets. Sanya is hurled through the air. Asami drops to the ground and covers her head. She gets to her feet as quickly as she can. On shaky legs, she searches for the water bender. Once the dust settles she sees a large sphere of water. The sphere collapses and Sanya falls to the ground. The heiress does not realize she has been holding her breath. She exhales. Asami runs to her and helps her to her feet.

"Oh man. I'd'be okay if I never 'ad to do that again." Sanya slurs.

Before Asami can respond, a low buzzing fills her ears. She thinks the ground might be shaking, but it is too subtle to be certain.

Worry overcomes Toph's face. "Linnora! I can't see!"

"Mother, now is not the time for one of your blind jokes!" Lin says as she tries to get to her feet.

"Take off your shoes!"

Lin obeys. Shock manifests on her face. Asami breathes heavily as she tries to understand what is happening.

"Will you be okay on your own?" She asks Sanya.

The girl nods. "I just need to sit down for a bit." She slowly sinks to the ground.

Asami moves strands of white hair out of Sanya's face. "I'll be back."

She runs to the earth benders. "Lin, that big one. It's cause some sort of interference, that's why she can't see."

"I know."

Toph stumbles, her arm outstretched searching for something stable. It is the first time Asami has seen the woman with panic in her cloudy eyes. She swallows a lump in her throat and takes Toph's hand. The large mech stops. A small door opens where the driver's compartment should be. A familiar silhouette is unmoving.

"Hello Asami. Nice to see you again."

Asami's heart drops into her stomach. She is frozen with fear and anger. It cannot be him. She looks up to see his gaunt face. An unruly beard has grown around his mouth. He no longer wears his glasses, exposing dark eyes.

"Dad?" Her voice is nearly a whisper.

Lin puts her hand on Asami's shoulder, taking her mother's hand and lightly nudging Asami forward.

Asami looks back to see Lin sitting Toph on the ground before making her way to Sanya.

Asami carefully walks closer to the large mech. "Dad?" Her voice is louder now.

"I knew it was you. I saw you that day we tried to attack the earth bending school. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Dad stop this. Stop it now. You don't have to do this." Her voice cracks. She does her best to hold in tears.

"You would defend them? The same kind of people who killed your mother? The same kind of people who look down on you and me."

She cringes at the thought of being like him. "Stop this. That was one man. It's not worth all this." She points to the destruction around her.

The machine takes two steps forward as the heiress takes two steps back.

"They killed your mother 'Sami." She tenses at the way he says her name. "They are oppressing us Asami! They must be stopped!"

Rage rings in her ears. Tears stream down her face. She can feel her hands shaking. "Stop it! Stop this now! You've lost your mind! You lost any love you ever had for mom!"

"No, Asami. It's you who has lost your love for your mother by siding with these benders!"

His voice is different, low and gravelly. She thinks this man is no longer her father. The arms of the mech straighten, preparing to fire. Asami is frozen. She does not want to hurt her father, but she cannot stand by as he causes more destruction, or worse, more death. She wants nothing more than to stop time and disappear from this world.

She unleashes her cables, unsteady legs take a fighting stance. "I've fought you before. I can do it again." Her voice cracks between sobs. "Don't you hurt them."

He laughs. "That's touching. But remember Asami, family first. Are you prepared to kill your own father?"

Asami's chest tightens. She grips her cables tightly, too tightly. Pain shoots up her arm. She is shaking from all the rage in her body. She sobs, releasing all the sadness in her heart.

"Don't." She says too softly for him to hear. "You can change." She says a little more loudly.

He shakes his head, a sadistic smile on his face.

Tears blur her vision. Her ears are ringing, blocking out any noise from the world. She hears someone call her name, but she does not look back to see who is calling. The machines whirs to life, preparing to fire. Asami cannot move her legs, her mouth agape from shock and and an overwhelming sense of sorrow. Her father died many years ago. She does not know this man.

Someone grabs her arm and pulls her back. She finds herself running, but the world is moving much slower than usual. She watches her feet move before looking back to see a ball of fire coming toward her. She closes her eyes, waiting to feel the fire. A heavy weight throws itself on her, pushing her to the ground. She hits the ground hard, but does not feel pain. An explosion fills her ears and rocks her body to the bones. She keeps her eyes closed, listing to the muffled screaming. She listens to herself breathing, it is slow and heavy. She puts all her focus on the sound of her breaths. The weight is lifted off her. A sharp slap to the face pulls her out of her dreamlike state. She sits up to see people in different uniforms running past her. Lin's face is full of concern and anger. Asami turns to see the legs of the large mech still in place, but its body is nowhere to be found.

"Kid! Hey! Are you all right?" Lin screams as she pulls Asami to her feet.

Asami nods as she gets to her feet. Sanya is on her knees a couple of meters her, a body before her. She covers her mouth, her chest rises and falls with each heavy breath. Shaking her head, Asami can hear her saying 'no' repeatedly to herself. Asami's heart sinks as she drops to her knees. She feel sick to her stomach.

"Mother. Mother, wake up." Lin runs to the motionless body, getting to her knees as she reaches for her mother.

The water bender gets to her feet and walks away keeping her back to Asami.

"Mother, wake up." Lin takes her mother's body in her arms.

A burnt hand touches Lin's face. Asami covers her mouth, doing her best to keep her sobs silent.

"Linnora, I love you. Take care of the girls. You're all they have left." Toph says loudly enough for Asami to hear.

"Let me do it, Aunt Toph. Please, let me heal you." Sanya pleads through tears.

Blood drips from Toph's mouth, the skin on her neck is charred. Parts of her clothing still burn. "No, Sanya. No. You can't. I'm too far gone. You can't."

"Please, please, please, please. Auntie. Please." Sanya begs. The pain in her eyes is unbearable for Asami to look at directly.

"No. Sanya, not today. I promised. I promised Sokka."

Sanya walks away and sits several meters away. The rain droplets around her freeze in mid air. Pebble stands to her left, holding back Jet. The wolf's eyes are on the old earth bender.

"Mom, please. Stay with me." Lin's voice cracks.

It is the first time Asami has heard such emotion in her voice. She feels a sharp stabbing in her chest.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm not so good at sticking to plans. Take care of your family. I'll love," Her voice suddenly becomes a whisper.

Lin leans in close. Her mother's lips move, but Asami cannot hear what they say. Lin simply nods, closing her eyes tightly as tears escape.

Asami drops, one hand on the wet ground. The other still on her mouth. She cannot hold back her tears. She hiccups with sobs, unable to breathe properly. Her head aches with pressure, the sharp pain in her chest persists.

"I love you too, mom." Lin's voice cracks between whimpers.

Asami looks up to see Lin clutching the lifeless body of her mother, tears silently streaming down her face. It is too much for her, she thinks has become physically ill with sorrow. The wolf howls, but the group is silent.

The rain stops falling, but the grass is wet under Asami. She sits near a tree, watching raindrops fall from its vines. Her eyes sting with exhaustion. She has no more tears left to shed. Her body aches. Her chest still hiccups with sobs she cannot control. The group spent the rest of the night building a funeral pyre, as per Lin's request. They wait for the sun to rise on a grassy hill near the Beifong home. She looks to her right to see Sanya hugging her legs, she has not said a word since they left the city. Pebble stands to her right, still holding back a crying Jet. His whines are painful for her to hear. Lin stands before a funeral pyre, a lit torch in her hand. Asami can almost feel the woman's pain. The scar left by her own mother's pass has been reopened.

Her mother's body is laid atop the pyre. She looks at peace. The sun begins to rise over the horizon. Lin takes a step forward and lights the pyre. She drops the torch into the pile of dry leaves below her mother. The metal bender stands with her arms at her side, watching the flames engulf her mother. She thinks she can hear Lin humming a song, a song she does not know. Sanya shudders at her side, hugging her knees tighter. The water bender's eyes are on the funeral pyre. Jet howls and cries, trying to free himself from Pebble's grip. The large man is unyielding despite the tears running down his face. Asami must look away. She cannot watch for fear her heart might stop beating. She focuses on the leafy tendril before her. The leaves on the vine begin to fall, slowly one by one, the leaves on the vine come falling down.


	6. Chapter 6

Left. Right. Left. Right. The sound of her fists hitting sand is all she can hear. She ignores the vibrant swatches of the sky as the sun sets and keeps her eyes on the pool of sand before her. Sweat drips from her brow and her hands tingle with pain, but she ignores it. Week old wounds scream for attention. Her knees ache from kneeling on gravel all afternoon. She ignores it. All her focus is on her fists hitting sand. Asami grits her teeth as the pain becomes harder to disregard. Every afternoon for the past week, after having done all the chores, Asami comes out to the back yard and punches sand.

She shuts her eyes tight, swirls of colorful strings dance behind her eyelids. Her ears begin to ring. Her fist rain down on the sand. Grains of sand meet raw flesh. The burning sensation crawls up her arm. She lets out an exhausted grunt and falls back. She keeps her eyes shut tightly, inhaling and exhaling heavily.

"You can earth bend." A familiar smooth voice says behind her.

"What?" She quickly gets to her feet and turns around to find Sanya.

The water bender pulls on her arm sleeve, staring at a small block of earth near the pool of sand Asami has been attacking. She can see small pools of blood through the fabric of Sanya's arm sleeves. Her shirt is torn at the hem and her boots covered in mud.

"I didn't." Asami's voice is cold.

"But," Sanya points to the small block of stone. "You did."

"I didn't." Asami dusts herself off.

"I saw it."

"No, you didn't because you're never here."

"I've been..." Her voice shakes.

"Where? Where have you been? Because it's definitely not here." She stomps past the water bender.

From the corner of her eye she can see the girl standing with her mouth agape, wet eyes looking for words she cannot find.

Asami storms into the kitchen, doing her best to bury any thoughts and emotions. She walks to the sink and begins washing dishes. She has spent the past week doing all the house chores, never having a moment of rest.

One plate. Two spoons. A bowl. A knife.

Sanya follows, the heiress watches her through the reflection in the window. Her jaw tightens.

"I know I haven't been around much,"

"You haven't been around at all. So, don't tell me you saw something when clearly you weren't around to see it."

Asami watches Sanya rush out of the kitchen, unable to see her face in the blurry reflection. She focuses on the dishes. A door slams.

Three plates. Two forks. A mug.

She looks down at her hands. The skin around her knuckles burns. Raw pink skin bleeds into the sink. She turns around, still holding the mug. Her eyes look over the five chairs at the counter. She looks into the dining room. She closes her eyes and sees the couches in the living room and the table at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. An empty chair at all the tables. She drops the mug. A shattering crash breaks the silence in the house. Toph's smiling face flashes in her mind. She sinks to her knees, covering her mouth with a soapy hand. Tears force themselves out of tightly shut eyes. She tries to stay quiet, but her body is too exhausted to put forth the extra effort. She clutches a jagged piece of ceramic. It digs into her palm, crimson river runs down her arm. Her chest tightens. Breathing becomes difficult as her body shakes with each sob. She hears Toph's hearty laugh in her mind knowing she will never hear it again. She believes Sanya. She believes she really did earth bend. The thought that Toph will never see her do it pierces her heart. Asami's face is covered in tears. She no longer tries to suppress her sobs. She sits alone on the floor of the kitchen as the sun sets. Her bloodied hand refusing to let go of the piece of broken mug.

A strong hand rubs her shoulder. "Hey kid, it's all right." Lin's voice is not stern and commanding, but soft and comforting.

Asami allows herself to fall into Lin's arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's just a mug kid. I can get a new one."

"No! Not the mug! Lin," A lump in her throat blocks her words.

"No, no. Nothing to be sorry about. You didn't do anything."

"That's the point! I froze, Lin. I froze. I should have moved. I should have," Asami chokes on her tears.

"No. Don't apologize for that. None of this is your fault. You are not your father." Lin pulls away, holding onto the girl's shoulders. "Okay?"

Asami's sobs intensify. Wet eyes are desperate for forgiveness as they spill their apologies down the girl's face. "Lin, please."

The metal bender holds up a hand to silence her, tears streaming down her face. "You did nothing wrong. None of this was your fault. I never want you think that."

Her shoulders buck from a sharp inhale. She shakes her head, unable to form words. A tightness in her chest makes her breathing jagged. Small whimpers escape from her mouth.

"You know this isn't something she would have wanted to see from you. She loved you like one of her own. And you know what?"

The heiress does her best to contain the flooding river of tears in her body.

"Her love with always be with you. Just like your mother's. Don't ever forget that."

Asami collapses into Lin's arms, arms like sturdy iron poles. She shakes violently with each sob. The metal bender rubs her back, rubbing away all the old wounds and aches. She wipes away tears and nods. She looks up to see Lin's worried eyes. Eyes like stepping in her favorite patch of grass.

"Just give this to me and we'll get you all cleaned up." Lin puts a gloved hand over Asami's bloodied fist.

The heiress nods, her hand slowly unfurling to release the shard. She allows Lin to help her to her feet, the metal bender acting as her crutch. She cannot stop shaking as she walks with Lin through the house. She wants to say something, but her aching head scrambles all her words.

"Li, can you clean up the mess in the kitchen please." Lin asks the man as he sweeps the foyer. "Our girl needs a break."

Pebble nods and pats Asami's shoulder before making his way to the kitchen.

"You're made of stone kid. But that doesn't mean water can't heal you too."

Lin's words sends her back into a crying fit.

Asami lies on her side, awake in her bed. Her eyes are heavy and stinging from exhaustion. She stares at the bandage on her hands. It is plain white gauze, no sky bisons. Tears roll down her face forming a pool on her pillow, like they have done for the past week. The scene plays over in her head. Fuzzy images repeating themselves. She grits her teeth. '_Move Asami. Scream. Fight. Run. Just do something!' _She thinks. But she does not move. She does not scream. She does not fight. She does not know how much longer she can go on like this. Throwing the blankets aside, she sits up on the edge of the bed. Her chest rises and falls with each inhale and exhale. Her fingers clutch the bedding. Asami makes her way out the door. She stops in her tracks, her back against the door. Sanya stands against the door to her room. Her mouth opens to say something, but her words are caught in her throat. Her eyes are red and puffy, wetness causing the blue to glisten in low light. She takes a step toward the other girl.

"I'm sorry." Sanya says quickly as she leans onto her door, heading back into her room.

"Wait!" Asami says a little too loudly.

She is quick to follow Sanya into her room. She slips in behind the water bender and closes the door.

"Sanya, wait." The heiress clutches the door knob.

This is the first time Asami has been in her room. Photos and posters of her family hang over a desk by her bed. Books and scrolls crowd the floor by a large book case. The night bleeds its dark blue shade onto the walls. Constellations and an ever watchful full moon adorn the wall opposite the bed. A large dog bed lies near the far wall, but no large wolf lies in it tonight. A large stuffed badger mole lies at the head of her bed, patches of its fur are soaked. The heiress stands in awe, her eyes scanning the room. She meets troubled sapphire eyes, they quickly look away. Sanya clutches her arms, a curtain of black and white hair hiding her face.

"Can we talk?"

Silence.

"Sanya? Where have you been?" Asami's voice rises.

"Out."

"Out? That's your answer? Out?"

The water bender holds onto her arms a little tighter.

"That's all you have to say? And what were you doing while you were out?"

Sanya shakes her head no. "Things I shouldn't have been doing." She says so softly Asami can barely hear her.

"Sanya, can you talk to me please? I know I blew up earlier but,"

"I broke my promise." Sanya whispers.

"What?

"I broke my promise."

Asami takes a step back. Her mouth is slightly open with wide eyes. She takes a moment to search her memory for Sanya's promise.

"I told you I'd be by your side no matter what, that I'd stick around. But I didn't. I ran off." She turns her back to the heiress.

"Oh Sanya." Asami covers her face with her hands. There is heaviness in her chest, her vision blurs as raindrops form behind emerald eyes.

"Aunt Toph is gone, probably because of me, and I broke my promise to you. What'll I do next? Destroy Pebbles' garden? Crash auntie's car? Lose Jet? I couldn't be here." Her voice cracks.

"No, no, no. Sanya, please no. You didn't. It's not your fault." Tears fall from her eyes.

"But it is!" She turns to Asami. "I couldn't heal her."

A lump in her throat prevents the heiress from speaking. She shakes her head, wanting to tell the other girl it was her fault for not taking out her father when she had the chance.

She walks to the water bender and takes her by the arms, her fingers dig into cold skin. "Her death is not your fault, do you understand me?" She begins lightly shaking the girl. Sanya's body is unusually limp. "Do you understand!" Her voice is shaky.

The water bender nods yes, still avoiding Asami's gaze.

"Look at me."

Sanya does not obey.

"Please."

Wet sapphire orbs ask forgiveness in a manner her mouth could never convey.

"You didn't break your promise. You didn't." Asami releases her grip and turns her back to Sanya. Exhaustion begins to set in, her feet become unsteady. "To be honest, I didn't want to face any of you. I couldn't look at anyone." The past week is a blurry memory. One chore after the other fills her mind. She was completely numb. "You can't stand by someone who kept moving."

"I could've moved with you." Sanya's voice is soft.

Asami shakes her head, tears rapidly falling from her face. "No, you couldn't have." She sinks onto the bed still shaking her head. The scene plays over and over again in her head. She shuts her eyes tight, hoping they will vanish.

"Asami?" Sanya's voice is lower than usual.

"I should've moved or screamed or something,"

"You think this is your fault?"

The heiress nods yes, her shoulders shaking with every whimper.

The girls are silent. Asami cannot keep herself from crying. She furiously rubs her eyes.

Sanya kneels at her feet. "I think we all feel that way. At least a little bit." She lays a gentle hand on Asami's knee. "I can understand why you would feel it a little more." The water bender wipes tears from her face. "I don't think Aunt Toph would want this, especially from us."

She watches Sanya on her knees, keeping her eyes on the floor. She moves white hair out of her face and forces her to look up. Her eyes dart from left to right before being caught in Asami's gaze. She leans forward, wedging herself between the heiress' legs and wraps her arms around her waist. Asami rests her chin on Sanya's head and strokes her hair. She focuses on her breathing. Inhale. Hiccup. Exhale. Sanya's breaths are quick and unsteady. She can feel the girl's tears soaking into her shirt.

Sanya releases her grip. She bends the wetness from Asami's shirt and creates a small rose made of ice. "I don't know why I thought that would help."

A small grin appears on Asami's face as she places the icy flower on the bed beside her. "It did. Look." She points to her mouth. "First time in a week."

The water bender smiles, still wiping tears from her face.

The heiress reaches for the stuffed badger mole. Its soft fur rivals Jet's. Memories of the cave come back to her. Her grin widens. She hands the toy to Sanya.

"You're not going to make fun of me for it?"

"Not tonight. Did Aunt Toph give it to you?"

She nods.

The girls stare at the toy as Sanya turns it in her hands. Each recalling memories of their fallen earth bender.

Asami's brow furrows. "Where were you going?"

Sanya wipes her face on her arm sleeves. "I didn't want to sleep alone tonight. What about you?"

"Same."

The water bender gets to her feet, clutching the badger mole in one hand and holding out the other. Asami takes it without hesitation. She pulls on the girl's arm, causing her to turn around. The heiress rubs the blood stains on Sanya's arm sleeves. The water bender's downcast eyes refuse to look up.

"I don't know which is worse. If you did this or someone else."

The other girl meets Asami's eyes. A single tear rolls down her face and off a tense jaw. Asami squeezes her hand. She can think of nothing else to do.

They leave room and tip-toe down the hall. The door to Toph's room is ajar. Asami takes the lead. She knocks on the door, her gentle taps echoing throughout the quiet home.

"Yeah." Lin's voice is raspy, her words laced with fatigue.

Asami pushes the door open. Lin sits on her mother's large bed. Silken red blankets are pulled over her lap as she leans on the headboard. A small lamp on a nightstand illuminates a photo in her hand. Jet lies motionless at her feet. The wolf whines at the sight of the girls. The heiress stands in the doorway, keeping her eyes on the metal bender. Lin does not look up. She throws aside one corner of the blanket and moves aside. The girls are quick to enter the room.

Asami nestles beside Lin. Sanya walks around the bed, lying her head on Lin's lap. Jet scoots over to the girl, pushing the badger mole aside and forcing his way under her arm. The heiress hesitates to sit to too closely to Lin. The metal bender exhales, shedding her the steel demeanor. Asami relaxes and rests her head on Lin's shoulder.

She cannot help but stare at the photo. She raises an eyebrow. For a moment she thinks she sees herself. A young woman with jet black hair and bright green eyes smiles at her. She wears a dark metal bending uniform, free of any nicks and scratches. She has her arm around an older woman. The older woman wears her ebony hair in a bun, bangs cover her eyes. Her toothy grin is unmistakable. A commanding finger points at the photographer.

There is a knock at the door. It swings open. Pebble walks in with tears on his face, clutching a torn white shirt.

"Come on," Lin pauses as she waves him over. "Pebble."

The hulking man sniffles and shuts the door. He settles into a large armchair beside a looming dresser.

Asami's eyes dart from the photo, to Sanya and her wolf, to Pebble silently clutching his shirt. Her eyes settle on the photo.

"It took us a long time to finally get this photo. Mom kept making me laugh." Lin says. "Uncle Sokka was so determined to make sure it was perfect, but he had no idea how to work the camera."

The heiress' mouth curls into a smile. She eyes Sanya. The girl's back shudders, releasing stray sobs.

"We went around the whole block to find a good spot. We ended up in the first spot we tried." Lin's voice is soft, its usual metallic tone gone. Silent tears run down her face while she reminisces.

"Just like grumps." Sanya's exhale carries her words.

"I can still hear them arguing. 'Sokka, this better be perfect!'" Lin tries to mimic her mother's voice. "'Make sure you get Linnora in her new uniform!' She just gave it to me that day." She adds."Then Uncle Sokka, being Uncle Sokka, said 'Toph! You can't see it anyway!'" She lets out a small laugh as she wipes away tears.

Sanya's body relaxes, the muscles in her shoulders and back no longer strain on her shirt. Pebbles' soft snoring is nearly a whisper.

"I miss her." The heiress says quietly. "I know you do too, more than I do. I can't say I know how you feel, but I understand. You don't have to be our rock all the time."

The metal bender puts her hand over Asami's. "I know kid."

The heiress closes her eyes with a small grin. She sees nothing. The only sounds she hears are Pebble's occasional snores. There are no memories. No what ifs or should have beens play out in her mind.

Nothing.

Her eyes flicker open. The room is blurry. Asami rubs away the sleep her eyes, sitting up at the head of the bed. Sanya lies face up, near her feet. Her long legs dangle off the bed. Jet lies awake near her head, silently watching his human sleep. Lin and Pebble are gone, leaving the girls to sleep. The framed photo lies beside the heiress. She picks it up. Her fingers run over the sterling silver frame. The worlds greatest earth and metal benders beaming at her from the past. The Republic City police station looms behind them. Blurry cars are caught driving past the building as the mother and daughter pose for the photo. She bites her lip, recalling Lin's anecdote from the previous night.

"Determined to make it perfect." She says to herself. "The first spot…"

She is quick to place the photo on the nightstand.

"Sanya!" She shakes the water bender. "Wake up!"

The girl doesn't budge. Jet gets to his feet and jumps to the floor.

"Sanya!" She says louder this time. "Jet, help me out here."

The wolf tilts his head, then barks in response.

"Sanya!" She lightly slaps the girl's face.

The girl's eyes are slow to open. "What?" She whispers.

Asami shakes her one last time.

Sanya sits up. Her eyes are slow to open. "This is really not how I imagined it would be like waking up next to you in bed."

The heiress rises an eyebrow, blood rushing to her face. "What?"

Sanya freezes. Her eyes widen as her face becomes the same shade of red as the blankets. "Nothing!" She scoots back. "What's wrong, did something happen? Why'd you wake me up so early?"

"Because you need to hear this too." She grabs the water bender by the hand and pulls her out the door. "Come on Jet!"

The wolf bounds after them as they make for the kitchen.

Lin sits at the kitchen counter with a cup of tea and a newspaper. Jet rushes into the kitchen and sits by the woman's feet, waiting for head rubs. The woman complies. Pebble, in his trademark apron, tends to vase of flowers by the sink. Asami pulls a sluggish Sanya into the room.

"We have to go back to Republic City. I know after everything that's just happened we should stay, but we have to go back."

Lin turns around to face the heiress. Pebble carries the vase to the counter. She feels Sanya's hand leave her own as the other girl moves to an empty chair beside her aunt.

"I never thought you'd be so excited to say that." Lin says.

"My father and the rest of them will attack Republic City and they'll do it big. All their little hits here have been tests." Her eyes dart from one confused face to another. "Each time they've attacked, they've had something different, something new. They were testing their equipment." The heiress begins to pace. "He wanted to make sure everything was perfect before he went back and made his final punch." She slams a fist onto the kitchen counter.

"How do you know he'll go back to Republic City to do this?" Pebble asks.

Asami takes a step back, not expecting the question from him. "That's where it all started. If I know my father he'll finish where he starts. He wants to make sure the avatar knows."

Pebble nods.

"I know he's ready now. He'll be on his way, moving all his stuff. The last time he," Asami pauses. A lump in her throat brings tears to her eyes.

They are silent.

She stands up straighter and wipes her eyes dry. "After that, I know he thinks he's winning. We have to go back."

Lin nods. "It'll take some time for him to move everything."

Sanya sinks in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest. Pebble focuses on his flowers.

"Why the long face?" Lin asks her niece. "You'd normally make a bad joke right about now."

The water bender shrugs. "I guess I just forgot you guys would be leaving. Which is stupid." She waves a hand and straightens up in her chair. "I guess I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon."

The metal bender calmly rolls her newspaper into a tube. She turns to her niece, and in one swift motion hits the girl's head with the newspaper.

"What!" Sanya protests.

"You're coming with us." She looks to the large man behind the flowers. "All of you are coming with us. I think it would be best for us to stick together in case he tries to pull something."

Pebble grins. Sanya sinks further into her chair. She does her best to hold back a grin. Jet whines for attention. The wolf's whining stops when Pebble turns to a cabinet and takes out a dog bowl. Their eyes turn back to the heiress.

"That means you," Lin points to Asami. "Should stay on Air Temple island with us for a few days when we get back. Okay?"

The heiress nods, her mind completely occupied by a thought to pay much attention to what was said. "Well, I'm guessing some of the company's best engineers are loyal to my father. He has the upper hand when it comes to that." Asami begins to pace the room again.

A gentle hand takes hers, stopping her mid-step.

"But we have you." Sanya's large blue eyes look up at her.

She thanks the girl with a smile.

"She's right." Lin breaks the girls' eye contact. Sanya drops Asami's hand. "They underestimate you, for whatever reason. We can use that to our advantage."

"And she can earth bend now. I saw it, she earth bent." The water bender adds "Bended? Earth bended?" She scratches her head. "No, no. Bent."

"Is that true." Lin straightens her back.

Asami's mouth is agape, her eyes darting from Lin to Sanya to Pebble. Their eyes like a searing spotlight burning her skin. She wants to believe she did it, but she cannot be sure if she can do it again.

"I don't know. I was totally zoned out and I just really don't know."

"I see." Lin's eyes stay down, looking for answers on the floor. "It's not like you need it anyway kid."

"Asami and I do pretty well without bending, isn't that right dear?" Pebble winks at the heiress.

"That we do." She shoots him a grin.

Lin rises from her seat like a queen from her throne. "Well, I have some phone calls to make. Start packing now, we'll be out of here in three days."

Pebble clears his throat, a sound like a low rumble of a growling bear. He motions to his flowers, keeping eye contact with Lin.

"I'll call Mai and Chan and ask if they can take care of the house and," Her hand waves toward the flowers. "That."

"It is much appreciated Linnora." He bows and pours bits of meat and bread into Jet's food bowl before following Lin into the other room.

Asami, Sanya, and Jet are left in the kitchen. The heiress promptly sits in the chair opposite Sanya, making sure the other girl is forced to look at her.

"Are we okay?"

Sanya looks down at her feet.

"I'm sorry I blew up on you. And you didn't break your promise. If I know you as well as I think I do, I know you never will." She looks down at the wolf. "What do you think Jet?"

The wolf perks up at the sound of his name, leaving his food to stare at the girls.

"Oh fine. You always take her side!" Sanya feigns anger with furrowed brows and a smile.

Asami gets to her feet, holding out her hand. "We've got some packing to do."

An exact replica of Republic City stares her down as she she sits on ferry. Asami cannot help but add small, seemingly unnecessary details to her sketch. She sighs, causing a strand of hair to rise and fall back into her face. She takes a small mirror from her purse and holds it up to her face. The bandage around her palm makes it difficult for her to hold it properly. She checks her make-up. It has been so long since she last wore it and putting it on with one good hand was no easy task. She rubs her lips together and tosses the mirror back into her purse.

She looks to the sleeping water bender beside her. She grins as she watches Sanya's nose crinkle then relax. She turns her attention to the shrinking dock. She leans on the large window, her breath fogging the glass. The setting sun covers the dock in a blanket of soft colorful light. She is glad the ferry moves like a snail over hot pavement, she is in no hurry to get to Air Temple Island. She rubs her forehead, wondering how she will tell Sanya about Mako.

"You're really good." A sleepy voice says beside her.

Asami looks at her sketch of the city. Eraser trails and sloppily executed pencil marks are all she can see.

"Oh thanks. This is nothing."

"Well, if that's nothing I'm scared to see what something is. Might make me cry." Sanya teases, adjusting her arm sleeves.

Asami lightly pushes the other girl away with a grin. She expects a witty rebuttal from the girl, but she only smiles. Her eyes are low as her chews on her bottom lip.

The grin vanishes from Asami's face. "Something wrong? Have a bad dream?"

"No, I forgot that you're Asami Sato."

"What?" She giggles.

The water bender slaps her forehead with her palm. "That made more sense in my head." She slumps in her seat, exhaling her sudden embarrassment. "I forgot who you are here. That you're the heiress to this huge company and that you're pretty famous."

"I'm just a girl." She puts her hand on Sanya's.

The water bender finally looks up, her eyes reflect the sunset. "Not to me." She furiously shakes her head. "You'll never be _just _a girl to me." She looks down at her feet, blood rushing to her face.

The heiress cannot contain a grin, she forgets about her past heartaches. Her cheeks flush the same shade of red as Sanya's. Before she can respond, the water bender is on her feet making her way to the door.

She pauses and turns to Asami, pulling her arm sleeves. "Umm. That day, when you woke up after the badger mole thing." She chews over her words, scanning the floor with her eyes.

The heiress watches the girl. She can't help but smirk. She crosses her arms over her chest, throwing one leg over the other. "Yes?" Mischief in her voice.

"When you, you know. I mean, when we,"

Asami nods, knowing exactly what the girl is talking about. "What?"

"When we,"

The heiress gets to her feet and throws her arms around Sanya's neck. It is the only thing she can think to do. She buries her face into the nape of her neck, inhaling the smell of lavender and lillies. Hands glide down her back. Strong arms squeeze her as the embrace is retuned. The water bender's heart beats through her chest, quicker than Asami expected. She shuts her eye, forgetting everything this city holds for her. She presses her body harder against Sanya's, feeling her warmth and listening to her heart beat. Her body aches to hold her closer. She releases her grip, keeping her arms slung around the girl's neck. Sanya grins, her lips part to let out a sigh. Asami feels her warm breath on her skin. Chewing on her bottom lip, she stares at the girl's mouth. Asami hesitates. Her mind hold her back, but her body urges her forward. A nagging in the pit of her stomach silences the doubts in her mind. She leans in, Sanya's exhales cooling the skin on her lips. She closes her eyes, her breathing is heavy. Every nerve on her body is alert. She feels as though she finally has a cool glass of water on a hot summer's day. But before she can put her lips to glass, there is a knock at the door.

"Hey, you two awake?" Lin's voice is muffled from behind the door.

"Yeah!" Asami quickly answers as she takes a step back, keeping her hands behind her back.

Sanya stands dumbfounded beside the door as the metal bender slides it open. The girl keels over, supporting herself by holding her knees. The craving in Asami's body is only intensified.

"We're almost there. Might want to pack up." Lin pokes her head through the door. "You okay?"

Sanya lets out a long sigh. "Yeah." She straightens up, covering her mouth.

Asami's beams as she puts a finger to her lips.

"I'm gonna go check on Jet." Sanya turns to the door, keeping her eyes on her feet.

The heiress cannot contain a grin as she watches the girl breathe heavily. She licks her bottom lip before biting it. "Sanya."

The water bender looks up with bright red cheeks.

"Does that answer your question?" Her mouth curls into a mischievous grin.

"I asked a question?" She runs her hands through her hair before shaking out the daze in her eyes."Jet. Have to check on Jet now." She tries to squeeze her way past Lin.

"Why do I always walk in on you two doing that?" The metal bender says as she closes the door.

"Yes! Auntie Linnora! Why!" Asami hears Sanya scream from the hall.

She falls into the seat while giggling. She is glad to be able to laugh again, but a tinge of guilt comes over her. A lone rain cloud of guilt on a sunny day, memories of the past fall like a light drizzle. She tosses her sketchbook and pencil into her purse. A faint clinking comes from her purse. Peeking inside, an equalist glove greets her. With a disgruntled sigh, she slings her purse over her shoulder and takes the two large bags stored in the shelves above the seats. She shuffles out of the compartment and makes her way to the main deck, lugging the suitcases behind her.

"Hey, now. I'll take these." Pebble comes from her left with a warm smile.

"Thanks." She says as he takes the bags.

"Lin and Sanya are over there." He throws his head back.

Asami nods and walks past him. She is slow to make her way over to the edge of the ferry. A cool salty breeze hits her face. She clutches her coat closer to her body as the air chill nips at her exposed skin. The scent of smoke and iron are carried by the breeze. A scent causes a montage of memories to play out in her head. An odd wave of unrecognizable emotion fills her. Soft whining takes her out of her daydream

"Hey, Jet." She playfully rubs the wolf's head. "Do you even know where we are, buddy?" Jet follows her as she walks toward Lin and Sanya.

She watches the metal bender talk to her niece, her iron gaze softened by gentle water. The wolf runs to them, announcing Asami's arrival.

"Are you all right?" Lin asks patting her shoulder.

Asami nods, keeping her eyes on the ground. "It feels weird to be back." She shakes her head. "I don't know why. It just does."

The metal bender nods. "Same city, different girl." She walks away.

The heiress exhales, dismissing Lin's words.

"Everything all right? You zoned out there for a minute." Sanya's voice calls out.

"Yeah, I just really didn't think I'd be back here so soon."

"Same." The water bender leans over the ferry's railing.

Asami links her arm around Sanya's as she watches the dock to Air Temple Island grow larger. Their welcome party stands just off the dock, waving at them. The heiress raises an uncertain hand. She lowers it when she sees a figure with a familiar red scarf.

She exhales deeply. "Sanya, I have to tell you something."

The girl turns to Asami, a soft smile on her face. The heiress opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out.

"Sanya! Help me with the bags!" Pebble screams from somewhere Asami cannot see.

"Hold that thought. We'll talk later okay?"

A nervous grin creeps onto Asami's face as she nods yes. '_There won't be a later,'_ she thinks.

The ferry begins to slow to a stop as air acolytes on shore help the crew dock the boat. The heiress jams her hands into her pocket as she makes her way off the boat. A firm hand squeezes her shoulder.

"You didn't tell her about the fire bender boy did you?"

Asami says nothing. Her eyes dart from side to side as she avoids Lin's infamous steel gaze.

The metal bender punches the girl's arm, shaking her head as she walks down the ramp onto the dock.

She follows, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Asami!" A familiar voice calls out.

Bolin runs across the dock with open arms. The rest of their welcome party wait patiently on the shore behind him.

He throws his meaty arms around her neck. "I missed you! Team Avatar's back together!"

She returns the embrace. "I missed you too."

The boy releases his grip. "What happened?" He takes Asami's hand's inspecting the bandages and small scabs.

Asami chews on her lips, thinking of an excuse. "I just had a little accident is all." She shoves her hands into her pockets. "Sorry I didn't call more. I was a bit busy."

She hears Sanya behind her, she can't resist looking back.

"Busy huh?" The earth bender elbows her in the ribs.

"Shut up Bo." She hides her face in her hands.

Bolin continues to talk as they walk back to shore. She looks up to see Mako and Korra standing hand in hand beside Avatar Aang's family. She smiles at the couple, clenching her fists in her coat pocket. She flinches as pain jolts up her arm.

"Hello auntie." Lin's cool voice falters as she stoops down to kiss her aunt on the cheek.

"Oh, my little soldier girl." Katara hugs the metal bender. Asami can see tears forming in the old woman's eyes.

The heiress lowers her head. "Sifu Katara."

"Oh, Asami. No need for that. How are you?"

She did not want to lie, but she did not want to tell her the truth. She tries to smile, hoping the woman would understand.

Katara only nods. "I'll heal that up for you after dinner." She pats Asami's wrist.

"Thank you."

"Aunt Katara!" Sanya puts a suitcase down and rushes to the master water bender.

"Sanya, you're so tall now!"

The girl lifts the old woman off the ground in an embrace. A sad grin manifests on Asami's face. Sanya's smile momentarily drops. She shuts her eyes, trying to hide gloomy eyes.

"Sanya! Put my mother down!" Tenzin screams with a red face.

"Oh uncle." Sanya sets her aunt down, her happy facade is up again. "Nice to see you too. And Pema!" She give the woman a quick hug. "Are you sure you're not an air bender too?"

Tenzin's wife raises an eyebrow. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Because your beauty blows me away!"

"Would it kill you to say things like that to me sometimes?" She scowls at her husband.

"I like her." Bolin says with a pride in his voice.

"Spirits Sanya!" Lin smacks a palm into her head. The woman exhales. "It's good to have you back." She whispers to the girl.

"Well, we've got a big dinner waiting for us. Let's get going shall we?" Pema adds.

Sanya locks eyes with Asami as she chews on her bottom lip. She winks. The heiress returns the gesture.

"You must be Bolin?" Sanya sticks out her hand.

"The one and only!" The boy beams, taking the water bender's hand and shaking it.

A flaming red ferret pokes its head out of Bolin's shirt and scurries down his arm, sniffing Sanya's hand.

"And who is this?" Sanya scratches its head.

"This is Pabu!"

"And this is my furry friend, Jet." She swings around to find the wolf cowering behind her legs. "He's shy around strangers. Please excuse us."

She gets to her knees and begins stroking the wolf's fur. She gets to her feet and herds Jet away from the group.

"She seems really cool. How did she do that to her hair?"

"It's just like that. Are you thinking about coloring your hair?"

"Well, not that I'm already fabulous as it is, but I wouldn't mind a new look."

Asami and Bolin laugh. She misses hearing his laugh and seeing his face.

"Won't this be a bit awkward though?" Bolin asks as the group begins to walk back to Tenzin's home.

"What?"

"Well, your current flame and your old flame in the same house. She seems pretty cool knowing she'll have to live with your ex-boyfriend for a while. I wonder how my brother will take that."

Asami hears heavy footsteps scraping gravel behind her. She turns quickly to see Sanya stumble. She freezes once she is stable, wide eyes locked onto Asami's. The heiress' mouth hangs open as panic spreads through her body.

"I'm gonna help them with the bags." She turns quickly, bumping into Korra.

"Oh, hey Korra. Long time no see." Sanya's voice is higher than usual.

"When did you get so tall?" The avatar asks with a pout.

Sanya shrugs. Her eyes float to the boy beside the avatar. "You must be Bolin's brother."

Asami is frozen, her mind a hurricane of thoughts.

"Yeah. Mako." The fire bender holds out a hand.

The water bender grasps his hand, shaking it quickly. The heiress' eyes are glued to their hands, Mako's pale hand gripped tightly by Sanya's bronzed fingers. She can see the light in the girl's eyes go out as her shoulders drop.

"I have to help with the bags and Jet's a bit weird right now. We'll catch up later Korra." Sanya walks quickly to nearest air acolyte with a bag.

"Oh no. No, no, no. I did it again didn't I? I am so sorry." Bolin begins to plead.

Asami exhales, unaware that she has been holding her breath. "It's not your fault Bo. I didn't tell her. It's my fault."

"But,"

"No. It's my fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Her words are slow.

Bolin links his arm around hers as the walk silently up the dirt path to Tenzin's home. The gears in her mind grind to think of a way to talk to Sanya.

"Hey!" Korra calls out as she appears at Asami's side. "Nice to have you back."

"Yeah. Nice to see you again. Thanks for letting us stay at your place by the way." Mako adds.

The heiress forces a smile. The couple return the hollow gesture and walk past her. She wants to say she is happy for them, but her mind wanders. Jet appears at her side, tongue wagging from his mouth. He butts his head on her leg accompanied by a soft whine. Her grin is sincere this time.

"So, you think he'll get along with Pabu and Naga?"

"He will. He's a sweetheart." Asami looks back, searching for Sanya. She is nowhere to be found. "Just like his human."

They walk the rest of the way up in silence. The heiress listens to stray bits of conversation from the adults. Tenzin recalls the goings on of the city in their absence. Pebble asks a harmless question while Lin answers with the least amount of words possible. They do their best to avoid asking Lin about her mother, yet they try so hard to fish for details. They are fishing in a pool of rocks, no amount of bait will land them a catch.

The air bending children run toward the group as they near the house. Meelo waves at her, a coy smile on his face. She winks at him, a genuine smirk on her face. He runs off to join his sisters. She can hear them questioning Sanya behind her. The water bender's voice is unsteady, doing her best to entertain the children. Asami's shoulders drop. She fights the urge to pull Sanya aside and tell her everything.

"Bo, I'm kind of tired. I think I'll head to my room."

"Are you sure? I made sweet rolls!"

Asami raises an eyebrow.

"By made, I mean I made the trip to buy them." The boy does his best to flash an innocent grin.

"Save me some okay? We'll catch up later?" She waves goodbye as she walks to the girls' dormitory with Jet right behind her.

She does not look back to see if Bolin is waving back. She does not look back when whispers questioning her sudden departure float by her ears. She looks back when a steady hand lands on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Lin's voice is softer than usual.

She nods. "I'm just tired. I'm going to rest up a bit. Is that okay?" She keeps her eyes down. She is no match for Lin's iron gaze.

"I'll check up on you in a bit." Lin squeeze's the girl's shoulder before letting go and walking back toward the house.

Asami slows her pace as she enters the dormitory. She wanders the halls, cursing herself for not asking about her room. She curses herself for not telling Sanya. She curses herself for making a scene.

"Excuse me, " She catches the attention of an air acolyte. "I am staying here for a few days, my name is Asami Sato would you happen to know where my room is?"

The woman stares at her in silence, her large eyes dart from the heiress to the large wolf at her side. "They didn't tell you?"

"No, ma'am. I sort of ran off before asking." She tugs at her coat sleeve. Her eyes widen after she realizes what she has done. She jams her hands into her coat pockets.

"I see." The woman picks up her robes and turns around. "Follow me."

They walk to the end of the corridor. The woman stops before a door.

"Thank you." Asami begins to make her way into her room. "Come on Jet."

"I think you need to clear your chakras."

The heiress freezes, her face contorting with confusion. "I don't actually know what those are."

The woman only nods before disappearing down the hall.

Her luggage has been stacked neatly beside the door. Jet makes himself comfortable beside an old dresser. The austere room is just as she remembers it, reflecting the simplicity air nomads valued so long ago. She drops her purse on the small bed and wanders over to the window. Buildings of all sorts look like a child's building blocks across the water. She takes a deep breath, knowing she will have to go another company meeting. Memories of her father flood her mind.

"What do I do Jet?" She looks over to the wolf, his head tilts to one side at the sound of her voice. "I should just tell her right now. What do you think?"

The wolf whines then lets out a soft bark.

Asami bangs her head on the wall before rushing to the door. "Stay here Jet, I'll," Her exit is stopped short by a warm body.

Her hands land on the cold skin of bare biceps and soft fabric of an arm sleeve.

"Sorry." Sanya takes a step back with her eyes on the floor.

Asami does the same, keeping her eyes on the water bender. "It's all right."

"Your bag. Sorry, I thought it was mine." She holds up a small make-up bag.

"I can see how you would think that. You are quite the make-up enthusiast." The heiress tries to joke.

A weak grin is all Sanya can muster. "I'll just leave this here." She places the bag atop a large suitcase before motioning for the wolf to come to her. He does not budge. "He's probably too exhausted to move. Is it okay if he stays here for a while?"

"Yeah, totally fine."

"I should go."

"Wait!" The heiress takes a step forward, reaching for Sanya's hand. She stops short just as the water benders faces her. "Is it okay if you stay here for a while too?"

The water bender nods, closing the door behind her and standing stiff as statute.

Asami takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him."

Sanya nods, keeping her eyes on Jet.

"It slipped my mind."

"You could tell me about Bolin, but his brother totally slipped your mind? I get it, I'm not mad."

"You're lying. You have every right to be mad."

"Then, I'm kinda mad."

"I didn't think it would be a big deal." Asami holds her coat a little tighter, her voice a little louder.

"Right. So, I'm just supposed to be okay with everything now?"

"No, I guess not."

"You guess not." Sanya scoffs.

"What am I supposed to tell you? Yeah, we dated and I liked him. But he tossed me aside like a toy and now he's dating Korra. What more do you need me to say?"

"Would have been nice to tell me on the train. Or maybe on the boat?"

"Well, it's not a big deal. Right?"

"Maybe not to you." Sanya turns to the door.

"What?"

The girl bangs her head on the door. Asami watches her back rise and fall with heavy breaths.

"Look at him." Sanya turns to Asami, hiding her face in her hand. "He's like a scarf model you'd see in the newspapers. He's a pro-bender too, right? He's like porcelain and I'm like…" She uncovers her face and tugs at her arm sleeves. "I'm like dirt."

The heiress' mouth hangs open, her eyes glued to the water bender. She watches the girl hug herself, as though she is trying to cover body with an unseen blanket. Her mind is at a loss for words.

"And it just makes me so mad that he would do that to you. I can't be okay with that. I know he's with someone else, but how could you pick me over that."

"Sanya, no." Asami takes a step toward the girl, unsure of what to say or do.

"And I lied, I'm a little more than just kinda mad. I can only think of the worst possible reason why you wouldn't tell me."

"I told you, it slipped my mind. Please believe me."

"How does something like that slip your mind? You dated him."

"It's a long story."

"I had time to listen."

Asami begins pacing the room, she rubs her forehead as her frustration begins to rise. "I wanted to forget, okay?"

Searching blue eyes watch the the heiress.

"I wanted to forget everything that happened here. I wanted to forget Mako. I wanted to forget my father. I wanted to forget everything. That's why I agreed to go to Ba Sing Se. And I met you and everything just happened"

"That's why you didn't tell me? Am I just distraction so you can get over him?"

Asami's eyes widen, her jaw dropping in astonishment. Sanya's words stop her mid-step. "No!"

Jet whines as he crawls under the bed. The girls momentarily break eye contact to send unsaid apologies to the wolf.

"What was I supposed to say? Oh by the way I dated one of the most popular pro benders in Republic City and we'll be living with him for a a while. Would you have been okay with that?" Her voice rises.

"Much more okay than I am now!"

"Well, I'm sorry! He slipped my mind because he doesn't matter anymore! I didn't think we'd be coming back so soon either. I've got enough on my plate without your insecurities adding to my problems." Asami quickly covers her mouth. Her stomach ties itself into knots as her heart drops. She begins shaking her head slowly.

Sanya stares at the floor. She clutches her arm sleeves with shaky hands. Asami can see a tear drop to the floor. "So, I'm just your problem now?"

The heiress continues to shake her head. She drops her hands and reaches out for Sanya. "No, please. I didn't mean that." Her voice cracks.

The water bender takes a step back as she wipes her face with her arm. She begins to nod. "Yes you did."

Sanya looks up. Asami's stomach lurches at the sight. She thinks the color is beginning to drain from the girl's eyes, like her tears are washing away a once brilliant cobalt. The heiress feels a tightness in her chest when Sanya looks away.

"Please Sanya, just listen to me. I didn't mean it."

"You did. Because it's true." The girl's voice is oddly calm. "You don't need another problem." Her mouth curls into a smile, but her eyes cry with pain.

Asami squeezes her eyes shut. She hears the door close and Sanya's footsteps echoing down the hall.

"But I need you." She whispers.

She lets out a scream, fists held tight and close to her body. A soft rumbling outside floats into her ears, making her cover her mouth. Asami sinks to the floor and leans back on the bed frame. Trails of make up run down her face, a stream of tears washing away her face. Jet puts his head in her lap and licks her hand, doing his beast to comfort her. She strokes the fur on his head. The image of Sanya's crying face refuses to leave her mind. She screams through her teeth and bangs her head into the bed frame again. Jet whines and becomes uneasy. He scurries to his feet and begins clawing at the door.

"You probably want to be with her don't you?" The heiress sighs as she gets to her feet. "I'll be alone again." She says as she opens the door.

"No you won't." Lin says, her fist held up to the door as though she were about to knock.

The wolf looks back at the heiress with ears pointed straight up. She shoos him away. At this gesture, Jet scurries past Lin's legs and hurries down the corridor.

"How do you always seem to know when I'm a mess?"

"Kid, you're always a mess these days." The metal bender walks into the room. "I think we all are."

The pressure in her chest is lightened by the woman's playful words.

Lin leans on the wall beside the bed and crosses her arms. The girl sits cross legged on the bed, wiping away stray tears.

"Wanna tell me what happened? Sanya doesn't usually leave in such a huff like that. And I know it's serious when she doesn't even want dinner."

The heiress grabs a pillow and squeezes it, wish Jet had stayed with her. "You said it, I'm a big mess and I messed up."

"It happens to all of us."

"I don't think I can fix this. I don't know how to fix this, any of this."

"What do you do when you can't fix one of your cars?"

Asami raises an eyebrow, bewildered by the sudden change of topic.

"I always know how to fix my cars."

The metal bender slaps her forehead with her palm. "Well, the rest of us go to a mechanic. We go to someone who can help with things we cannot do ourselves."

The girl slumps. Embarrassment reddens her face as she begins to understand. "Sanya's not a car. I'm not a car. My father isn't a car."

"No, but that doesn't mean you can still go about this like you're a lone wolf."

"I messed up, not anyone else. I should take full responsibility. I dragged Sanya and the rest of your family into this. I can't,"

"Hey, you didn't drag any of us. We came willingly. We came into the mess that is currently your life because we care. Don't belittle that."

"No! No, Lin I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that!" Asami grunts and buriess her face with her pillow. "I'm not good with words today."

She feels the bed dip and a hand on her arm. "I know, kid. I know. See how easy it is to mess up? We all do it."

The girl nods.

"When I was around your age, I got into a fight with my mother. Big surprise, I know."

The heiress looks up , resting her chin on her pillow. The woman stares at the door, watching her own memory unfold.

"A gang kidnapped Sanya's mother you see, my mother and aunt Suki went to get her back." She pauses and furrows her brow. "Now that I think about it, no one in that gang was a bender. No the same group that killed her grandparents later on. Might've had equalists back then too." She shakes the thought out of her head. "Anyway, I wanted to go with them, prove to my mother that I was worthy. She said no of course."

Asami's eyes widen with wonder. "She said no?"

"That really is a big surprise isn't it? Even Auntie Suki said no. But of course I didn't listen. I was so angry with them that I followed, thinking I could prove them wrong."

"Sounds like something Sanya would do."

"Sounds like something Sanya has done." Lin flashes a crooked smile. "I didn't know what my mother and aunt had planned, I just rolled on in with a hot head. Things didn't turn out so well."

"What happened?"

"Fight broke out. It was pretty bad. The gang leader got away. Yue almost got killed. I got this scar." She points to her face. "Mom had to save me, and believe me when I say it took her over ten years for her to let go of that."

The heiress tilts her head to one side, a hurricane of thoughts going through her mind. "But how? I mean, You're Lin Beifong, how did that happen?"

"I didn't use bending kid, didn't seem fair. I was angry and young, clearly not thinking. You were probably expecting a more exciting story about this scar."

"I was actually."

"Sorry to disappoint." The woman rises from her seat, standing with her arms crossed. "I didn't listen to her. She always said, wait,"

"And listen before striking." A sad smile forms on her face. She remembers the old earth bender's smile. She remembers the night she died. She remembers her restraint that night.

"Wait for her. Listen to her. Then make your move." Lin says before making her way to the door. "Don't let some fire bender boy mess things up for the both of you."

"Okay. But Lin, are you okay?" She asks Lin before allowing herself to think over the woman's advice.

Lin drops her gaze. "I will be." She opens the door. "And so will you."


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for not updating in so long. I haven't been well you see. Thank you for following my silly little story. It means the world to me that you gave me a chance.

Colossal machines groan and screech behind curtains of steam. They repeat gestures they have done their entire lives. Beyond these lumbering giants, an area of darkness. Their brothers have been laid into a peaceful slumber. People in protective aprons and face guards move empty automobile shells, like worker bees serving their queen. Asami idly strolls though the nearly empty walkways inside the main factory of Future Industries. Dedicated workers greet the heiress with a nod or a lazy wave. The girl can only muster a small smile. She looks at the palm of her hand, a pink line reminds her of a moment of weakness. As well as the sweet old woman who healed her. She clutches the strap of her satchel as she does her best to pay attention to the short balding man who walks beside her. The man is in charge of this factory, but her mind is too distracted to recall his name. It dwells on the past two days. Her conversations with Lin and Sanya play in her head, each scene put on a loop. Each time Sanya's face flashes in her mind she feels the sharp blade of guilt pierce her chest. Everything she should have said or should have done comes to mind, sharpening regret's blade. Her grip on the satchel's strap tightens.

The man gestures as they walk by lines of steel drums. His mouth moves. She nods, but not one of his words made it into her head. He motions to silos on the far wall. She nods again, this time adding a polite smile to hide her inattention. She stares at the giant metal cylinders by the wall. A memory flashes in her head. _No, daddy, please don't. Thud. Thud. Thud. A giant metal monster comes her way as the mother of metal bending is lost. _

"Miss Sato?" The man beside her waves his hand before her face.

She is pulled out of her memory. "Yes? I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Production ma'am. We're slowing down."

She nods.

"We don't have the manpower and we're losing money. We don't have to shut down completely, just slow down. Really slow down."

"I understand."

"Yeah, ever since your father," His eyes drop to the floor.

"It's fine. I understand."

"But, you can see we're doing pretty okay considering what's happened." The man's voice picks up as he does his best to salvage the conversation.

Asami focuses on the buzz of electricity fluttering in the air as she watches devoted fire benders bend lightning near one of the machines. Nearly of the benders who worked for Future Industries left upon hearing the news of her father. She cannot understand why this small group stayed, but she is grateful for their loyalty. Her eyes land on an open door on the far side of the room. Views of the outside world greet her from behind sleeping steel giants. It looks just as bleak as factory. The man continues to talk facts and figures of the current state of the factory. Statistics that never reach the heiress.

The man stops walking. "So, that's all there is really."

She nods at the man. "How are the workers-" She stops talking. She freeze as her eyes search the ground. "Did you feel that?"

"Ma'am?" He cocks his head to the side.

"You didn't feel that just now? That sort of rumbling?"

He shakes his head no. "Must be one of the machines moving ma'am. I didn't feel a thing."

She fakes a smile and nods. "How are the workers handling all this?"

The man begins to speak, but Asami's mind is elsewhere. She contemplates removing her shoes. _Lin takes off her shoes when does that vibrations thing._ She waves the thought away. She is not an earth bender.

"But other than that, they're all okay." The man finishes.

An unusual type of guilt fills her. This man went through all the trouble of answering her question, yet she did not bother to listen. The rumbling in the ground becomes stronger.

"Are you sure you don't feel that?"

"Not a thing Miss Sato." He shrugs.

The man can open his mouth to speak again. Words are never spoken. An explosion comes from the far side of the factory rocks the earth beneath them. Dark orange flames burst through the factory's walls. Asami is thrown off her feet, her bottom hitting the hard ground. She watches workers scramble like ants. Horrified faces with wide open mouths scream, but the only sound in her ears is a sharp ringing. She searches frantically for the short balding man as she gets to her feet. She spots him on the ground beside a pile of rubble.

Asami rises with unsteady movements. "Are you all right?"

He nods as he wipes dirt from his face. Blood trickles down the side of his face.

"Get the others out of here." She helps the man to his feet. "Everyone! This way!" She does her best to herd her workers away from the attackers.

"What about you?" She can tell he is beginning to panic.

"I can take care of myself." She pushes the man toward a group of frantic workers.

The group of loyal fire benders stay behind. They stand ready for a fight.

"No! You help the others out."

"But ma'am!" One of them screams behind their protective mask.

"They need you more than I do. Now go!"

They look at each other and nod. They obey. The group herds their fellow workers to safety.

Asami runs toward the first explosion. A second smaller blast comes from her right. Her feet stumble, but she does not fall. Behind the curtain of dust she sees an all too familiar sight. The sound of gears grinding and steam releasing mixes in with the crackling fires and screaming workers. _Thud. Thud. Thud_. Two equalist mechs lumber into the hole blown into the wall. Masked equalists run into the building.

"Oh great. I just did my nails too." Asami says to herself. "At least I'm wearing pants this time."

The masked intruders begin throwing small bundles of cheese cloth on the equipment, the floor, and even the workers. They explode into clouds of blue dust upon impact. Her mind runs through her limited options. She freezes. Flashbacks fill her mind. _Move, Asami, move! No, stop! Not him. Please don't let it be him. Daddy, why?_ She rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms. She runs toward the nearest intruder and rams her fist into a masked face.

"Asami!"

She knows that voice anywhere. She stops and turns to find Sanya frozen in a state of bewilderment. She holds a bouquet of pink lilies in one hand and a bag of sweets in the other. A light layer of dust covers her bare biceps and white arm sleeves.

Asami runs to the girl. "What are you doing here?" She pulls her to the side.

"Well, you know what auntie always says. Where there are explosions, there's Sanya."

"What a time for you not to have your jacket."

"I could say the same for you. I didn't think I'd need it!"

A large mechanical arm crashes into a conveyor belt. Asami takes Sanya by the shoulders and pulls her against a wall.

"I came to apologize for the other night." She screams over the ruckus.

Asami moves away from the wall to face the water bender. "I should be apologizing."

The equalist mechs make the the ground shake with every step. More equipment falls to the ground with thundering booms. The slumbering giants of the factory do not wake as they burn to the ground. The mechs slowly make their way further into the factory. Three unarmed equalists charge toward the girls.

"No, no. I shouldn't have been so selfish." The water bender ties the bag of sweets to the back of her belt before she launches herself off the wall, her feet land squarely on the chest of nearest attacker. "Rude! I'm trying to apologize here!" She screams.

A deep grunt comes from behind the mask before a soft thud of the body hitting the ground. Asami dodges punch. She takes hold of her attacker's arm and neck, with one quick thrust she smashes the attacker into the wall.

"Sanya, I should have told you. None of the would have happened if I had just told you. I should've let you talk, I should've listened instead of just mouthing off like that."

The flowers are kicked out of the water bender's hand. She retaliates by catching the leg on her shoulder, pushing the equalist to the ground. She picks up the bruised flowers, her mouth drops into a scowl. Another equalist trudges toward them, carrying a large metal box on their back.

"Asami, please. I overreacted. I should have thought about all the stuff you're going through."

"Are we seriously arguing about who should be apologizing!" Asami lets herself laughs amidst the chaos.

The equalist with the the metal backpack stops before them.

Sanya turns toward the masked intruder. "Can we possibly settle this over a game of pai sho?"

The equalist throws a bundle of blue power at them. He lifts a small nozzle at his side. A hissing comes the box. A stream of orange flames flies toward Asami.

"I guess not." The heiress kicks the bundle out of the way, takes Sanya by the biceps, and shoves her onto the ground. The bundle catches fire, turning the flames bright blue. Asami watches in awe as pins the water bender to the ground.

"This really isn't how I imagined it would be like to have you on top of me."

"What?"

Blood rushes to the water bender's face. "Nothing. Watch your hair." Quick hands shove Asami's head down.

The flames dissipate as she gets to her feet. The lilies have caught fire, the girl holding them watches with rage in her eyes.

She lies on the ground with her hips raised. "I lost your flowers. I refuse to lose your sweets!" She gets to her feet.

More masked invaders carry metal boxes on their backs, throwing bundles of powder, and igniting blue fires.

"There is only person alive who can make fire that color, and she is sitting comfortably in a mansion on Ember Island." Sanya says.

Asami watches her factory burn down. A few stragglers are still trying to flee the scene, dedicated workers who refused to leave their stations. She swallows. Her throat is scratchy and dry. It aches for water. Her eyes wander over to the untouched silos on the far wall.

"You need water." She reaches into her satchel and produces a boomerang.

She runs forward. With all her might she hurls the boomerang toward the nearest silo. _Clang_. The boomerang embeds itself into the thin sheet metal that makes up the wall of the tall cylindrical tower.

"You kept that? You carry it around with you?"

"Of course." Asami grins.

Viscous black liquid oozes out of the tear. It runs down the silo and snakes its way onto the floor.

"Oh no, no, no." The grin vanishes from her face. Shock paralyzes her.

The black liquid snake finds an inviting blue flame. A strong arm takes her by the waist and nearly carries her behind the line of steel drums. Sanya takes Asami's hands and places them on her ears as she does the same. Through a sliver of space between the drums, Asami watches the serpent of flames slither with haste. It reaches the silo. Her eyes widen. The serpent climbs into the silo. She shuts them tight. With her hands pressed tightly against her ears, a muffled blast brightens the room. The heated air covers her like a blanket. Sweat runs down her face. Something hits the drum, causing it to bump into her. Through the sleeve of her jacket, she can feel the hot steel ready to burn her skin.

The brightness dies down. Sanya gets to her feet and helps the girl up.

The boomerang was thrown into the drum. Water spills from the crack, covering the ground at her feet. She slams her palm into her forehead. _We've moved all the water into these drums form those silos, making room for more oil… _The man's voice chimes in head. Her jaw tenses. Her brow furrows. Her ribs cannot contain the rage in her heart. She places a foot on the drum and with both hands on the boomerang she wriggles it free. Water flows out onto the floor, then up into the air. She watches the water bender rush to the nearest flame. She skids to a stop.

"I can't put these out." She turns to Asami. "With the oil and what they did in Ba Sing Se. I can't put these out."

"It'll burn itself out." Her words crawl out of a scratchy throat.

Bodies of fallen equalists litter the ground. The smell of smoke and burnt flesh sting her nostrils. A large mech has fallen near the wreckage of the silo. The second stands idly by, its driver missing from their post. Blue flames slowly fade into their natural orange hue. She stands motionless, watching her factory crumble to the ground. Charred steel falls nearby. She does not move. Sanya does her best to put out what fires she can. Some still burn, burning away Future Industries.

"Asami." A gentle voice says. "We have to go."

The heiress does not budge. Her eyes are glued to the ruins.

"There will be more of them coming, we have to go." The voice is more urgent this time.

"No."

"What?" Sanya takes a step back.

"No." Her voice cracks. "I'm supposed to run away after they did this to my factory? I don't want to run away anymore." Her fist tightens around the boomerang.

Sanya pulls at her arms sleeves, her fingers wanting to scratch an itch that is not there. She turns toward the wreckage then back to Asami.

"No." The heiress turns to face the water bender. Her chest rises and falls, containing all her rage.

"Okay." Sanya grabs the boomerang and runs off. She pops the top off a steel container before hustling back to the heiress. "Hold onto this." She places the boomerang in Asami's hand and gives it a squeeze. "Auntie will be here soon, so we just have to hold them off for a bit." She turns and puts a hand on her hip, the other moving strands of white hair out of her face. "Do you know how to drive that thing?" She points to the silent mech.

"I don't want to touch that."

"Okay, new plan." She fiddles with strands of loose hair. "No more explosions."

Asami raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

The heiress shakes her head. "They're here for something. They have to be if they're willing to attack in broad daylight." Her words are slow and monotonous.

"Then let's make sure they have a hard time finding it." Sanya raises a hand. Ribbons of water hang suspended in the air before disappearing into thick fog.

Cool air dries the sweat on Asami's brow. She can no longer see the ruins of her factory. Everything lies still. She can hear her heart beating, anxious with anticipation. A few light footsteps to her left. The groans of Future Industries' fallen titans echoes within the curtain of grey cloud. Fires crackle and burn away at everything they touch. The screaming of a million thoughts buzz in her head. _Concentrate. Listen. Attack_. Toph's voice drowns out most of the screaming.

The curtain of fog parts to her left.

"That should throw them off a bit." The water bender's voice is nearly a whisper. "Are you all right?" She takes her hand, but her eyes stay focused on the haze.

The heiress wonders of the girl can see through it. She watches Sanya. The girl is covered in grit. A bag of sweets still dangles on her belt loop. Strands of white hair have come undone. Like white vines, they dangle over furrowed brows and determined eyes. Ash mixes with sweat and plasters itself onto her face. All she can do it stare.

"Asami?"

"Sanya, about earlier,"

"We can talk about it later. We've got company." She turns to face Asami. "Are you all right?" Searching blue marbles meet her eyes.

"I'm fine." Her voice shakes. Flashbacks of the night they lost their rock fill her head. Her chest is heavy, each breath becoming harder to take in and let go. She tries to look away, to look at anything but the girl before her.

"Okay." Sanya lays a gentle hand on Asami cheek. "Come back to me. I know you're back in Ba Sing Se and let me tell you, there are nights I'm back there too. But I need you here right now. I need you."

Patter of footsteps breaks the silence. Their guests have arrived.

"Asami?"

She takes Sanya's hand and gives it a squeeze. Her jaw tightens at the sound of hurried murmuring.

Sanya pulls her closer. Her warm breath grazes Asami's neck, brushing away her rage. She allows her body to relax.

"Open the barrels. Knock them over. Run to the nearest body and knock it out." Sanya whispers.

The water bender disappears into the fog before Asami can answer. Her head turns frantically, as she looks for any sign of the barrels in the fog. She stands still takes a deep breath. Her mind pulls up a floor plan of the factory before Sanya's fog settled in. She grimaces at the effort needed to recall every single detail. Shuffling feet and splashing water echo in the distance. In a crouch, she picks up small chunks of iron and concrete, still warm from the explosions. She throws them forward. _Clatter_. She throws them to her left. _Clatter_. She throws them to her right. _Clatter_. She turns around and throws another handful of debris. _Clank_. A smirks forms on her face. With slow weary steps and searching hands, she makes her way to the line of metal barrels. Her hand feels the now cooled steel. Without hesitation, she hacks into a barrel with the boomerang before kicking over and pushing it with her feet. She moves onto the next and does the same. She looks into the grey. She sees nothing. The sound of metal rolling on concrete floats into her ears, soon followed by a grunt. Her smirk widens as she realizes she has hit a target. The sound of water splashing and ice shattering echoes in the grey cloud. She scurries out form behind the barrels and hurls her boomerang forward with the hope of hitting someone. _Clank_. The grey rewards her efforts with a shrill scream in addition to a returning boomerang.

The sound of rushing boots becomes louder. Asami plants her feet on the ground, unmoving and steady. She clenches her fist, ready to attack. There is nothing more than shadows in the fog, but her ears tell her everything she needs to know. Her attacker lunges forward. The equalist raises an armed hand, a baton glows with electric fury. Asami catches their arm twists it downward. The baton buzzes with irritation as it hits the ground. A low guttural noise comes from its owner as she introduces her fist to her assailant's masked face. The sound of more hurried footsteps comes from all around her. A brief moment of panic overcomes her. Her eyes ache for a clarity. She shuts them.

Asami grits her teeth as she tries to focus on each pair of feet. Three pairs. Three people. Three reasons to release the caged beast in her chest. Her hand begins to tremble. Rage swims through her veins, shaking her nerves. She opens her eyes. A baton rushes toward her head. She blocks it with her arm. A fist to the ribs sends her to her knees and gasping for air. With the wind knocked out of her, she sweeps her feet across the floor, taking an attacker's feet out from under them. A fist slams into a vulnerable chest. A foot to her back sends her tumbling over her fallen attacker. Her heart pounds in her head. The world around her becomes blurry. She reaches for the boomerang as a feet comes falling down on her. With a grunt she slams the blunt end of her weapon into the equalist's knee. _Crack_. A bloodcurdling scream fills her ears. Without missing a beat, she swings her arm around. With the butt-end of the boomerang held firmly in a fist, she deals a mighty blow into the stomach of the last remaining attacker. Her breath is heavy as she slowly gets to her feet. Asami listens. No splashing water, no shattering ice. Shuffling feet. Groaning and creaking of heavy steel instruments.

"Sanya?" She calls out.

No response.

Creaking of metal parts and hissing of steam freeing itself from enormous pressure is all she hears. Muffled muttering of mouths behind masks worries her. The ground rumbles beneath her. _Thud_. _Thud_. _Thud_. The all too familiar sound of a metal colossus plodding towards her sends her mind into a panic.

"Sanya!" Asami steps back, her feet uncertain of where they land.

The thundering steps of the equalist mech become louder.

"Sanya!" Her chest becomes tight. "Please." She stands completely still, listening to ghosts in the fog.

Something small drops beside her. She looks down to see a small foil wrapped cube. She picks up the chocolate as she searches for the one who might have dropped it. Asami looks up, shoving the candy into her satchel. A whirlpool of clouds begins to spin overhead. The fog around her begins to disperse. Slowly the curtain is lifted, finally giving her eyes the clarity for which they longed. A group of equalists stand beside the lumbering mechanical beast.

Asami looks up to find Sanya standing on overhanging ledge several meters above her. The girl bends streams of water into her brewing storm cloud and around the equalist mech. The water bender's graceful feet work with the limited space they are given. Her arms, like white and bronze ribbons control the fog. The equalists stare at the swirling cloud above them. Asami's mouth curls into a sly grin.

The dark mass above them flashes. Thunder echoes in the factory. With a running start, she hurls her boomerang. It takes out two equalists. She catches it just as she lands a kick to unexpectedly soft stomach. Her fist makes contact with a skull. The mass floats over the mech, lightening flashes within its body. Asami takes an equalist by the head and shoves her knee into another masked face. A twinge of pain runs up Asami's side. With her hand on her side, she scurries away from a puddle of water near the mech. The remaining invaders follow suit as they disperse. A bolt of lightning tears through the space beside the mechanical monster. Asami searches for Sanya. The water bender looks weary. Her movements are slower than usual. The heiress grits her teeth. Her eyes wander, searching for any way to help bring down the beast and its minions. Before she can move, another sliver of light illuminates the factory. The mech groans. Steam and sparks rise from its joints. The person piloting the beast slumps over the controls.

The water bender jumps from her perch and jogs toward the heiress.

"No explosion. She actually did it." She says to herself.

"Of course I did. It hurts that you even doubted me." Sweat rolls down Sanya's face.

Asami can't help but smile at the girl's smug little grin. Her eyes wander past Sanya's shoulders. Time slows as her eyes widen with panic. She lunges at the girl. Her twists her body sideways in an attempt to move Sanya away from the electric baton coming their way. Asami shuts her eyes and fills her lungs with heavy air. The baton hits her below the ribs. Her muscles tense. An electric shock crawls through her veins. She spams. Tears run down her face. Her teeth grind as she tries to hold back a scream. Her mind is static. She opens her eyes to find herself face down on the ground. Sanya kneels beside her. Her mouth moves, but all Asami hears are noises that sound vaguely like her name. Sanya holds out a palm, a gesture telling her to stay put. In her fuzzy mind Asami laughs. She cannot if she wanted to. She closes her eyes. Her muscles twitch. With each heartbeat a wave of overwhelming pain washes over her. Millions of tiny knives poke at every muscle. She does her best to regain control of her body. _Move your right foot_! She screams in her head.

A feeling of warmth relaxes her body and chases away the pain. Cold air hits the sweat on her face while the warmth fades away. The waves of agony become a dull ache. She breathes easier, her ribs no longer feeling like straight jacket against her lungs. Her left foot jerks up. _Okay, progress. _She steadies her breathing. Asami focuses on every part of her body. The dull aching in her ribs intensifies with each breath she takes. She opens her eyes to find herself surrounded by ice. Blurry figures move outside the wall of ice. She grunts as she pushes herself off the ground. A heavy head makes the world spin, making her feel unstable. She pushes through and sits on her bottom. She rests on her hands, wetness on her palms. It is warm. Too warm to be water dripping down from the melting roof of the makeshift igloo. Her head lulls to the side, weary eyes stare at her hand. Deep crimson stains cover her hands. She sits up, checking her body for any open wounds. Her shirt was pushed up, its hem stained a dark reddish-brown. A purple bruise the size of a small platter stares back at her. The pounding in her head intensifies. It becomes louder with each beat. Bloodied hands hold her head. No, the throbbing is not in her head. She soon realizes someone is pounding on the ice as the world becomes clear again. Cracks form and slither down the nearly clear blue sheets of ice. Asami knows it cannot be Sanya. Her mind races. She stares at her blood stained hands. The paint on her nails has chipped. She has broken a nail. A light goes off in her head. She rummages around her satchel. Her hands emerge empty. She pats the ground beside her. _There it is. _She brushes debris and blood off her nail file. A smirk creeps onto her heiress shrugs.

"Might as well." She whispers to herself as files down the jagged edges of her broken nail.

She pushes herself against the icy walls, beneath the slithering cracks made by incessant pummeling from the outside. Chunks of wet ice fall on her. She waits until the hole is big enough, the pointed end of her nail file peaks out through a clenched fist. She musters all her strength and springs from her position. Her body crashes through the hole in the ice. With her free hand she grabs the equalist's collar and jams her nail file into a bony chest. She puts all her weight on her screaming attacker. They tumble to the ground. Luckily, she has a body to break her fall. She rolls away from the writhing body. The world spins through fuzzy eyes. She takes a moment to steady herself and shake the dizziness out of her head. Once she opens her eyes, she sees a tired water bender doing her best to fend of masked foes. Asami tires to get to her feet, but a heavy hand on her shoulder pushes her down.

"Going somewhere Miss Sato?" A husky male voice cackles.

Two of his companions walk up behind her. They do not wear masks. His unevenly cut hair is as dark as his black eyes. He is not much older than Asami, yet the wrinkles and scars on his face say otherwise. The men standing behind him smirk with sense of pride. She tries to get to her feet.

"No, no, no Miss Sato, that would not be a good idea." The man holds out a a hand adorned with an equalist glove.

The heiress is still. Her eyes glued to the glowing center of the glove as it fizzes to life.

"How long has it been since you betrayed your father?"

Asami does not answer.

"I was there that night. I was the first one you took out after dear ol' daddy."

Her jaw tightens. Her body feels too heavy for her to lunge and attack without risking another fatal hit.

"I'm going to enjoy this way too-"

The man freezes. His arm begins to shake. His face twitches, as if invisible puppet strings are pulling at his mouth and eyes in way they cannot bend.

"Hey, what's up with you?" One of his cohorts asks.

"Get away from her." A weary voice booms from behind Asami.

She turns to see Sanya hunched over with her arms around her chest. Her left arm sleeve is no longer white, but a shade of dark red. She breathes heavily, each exhale causes strands of hair come undone to rise and fall.

The men scoff. The man is completely frozen.

Azula's fire is set ablaze in Sanya's eyes. She takes a step forward, her bloodied hand outstretched. Her posture would rival that of any general as she commands their bodies. The men become stiff, much like their leader.

"You guys aren't very bright are you?" Sanya says under her breath.

"Oppressor." The man closest to Asami says between his teeth.

Asami's widened eyes can only watch in awe. She watches as the equalists struggle to resist Sanya's control. She thinks they have no doubt undergone some form of training with their former leader, but the daughter of the moon is no match for the late water bender.

"Sanya, stop." Asami asks with pleading eyes.

The water bender's jaw tightens. She drops her hand.

"Bad move, ice savage." The man raises his hand to strike again.

Asami gets on her knees as she braces herself and prepares to block the attack. Two crimson strips fly out from his shoulders. They freeze mid flight and hit the men behind him square in the chest. They are knocked off their feet. The red steams melt and fly back into the man's shoulders as he collapses. His brown top becomes darker as blood seeps into the fabric. Asami stares at their motionless bodies. Their chests move slightly. She exhales with relief.

"Blood bender!" A man shouts.

Men and women wearing the uniform of Republic City's metal bending police swarm the factory. Blocks of earth are lifted from the ground to put out the remaining fires. A person in uniform runs to the nearest equalist.

The heiress gets to her feet. "Wait! Stop!" She yells as she waves her hands.

Steel tendrils wrap themselves around Sanya's arms. She does her best to silence a cry.

"Stop! You've got it all wrong! Stop!" Asami knows her words reach no one.

More metal cables shoot out from various members of the force. They wrap themselves around Sanya's legs, but the girl refuses to be brought to her knees. Every muscle in her body tenses and strains against her restraints. Asami contemplates using the boomerang, but decides against it. With heavy feet she runs forward. Sturdy arms wrap around her waist. She pushes against them with the hope of breaking their iron grip.

"Hey. This isn't going to help."

Asami looks up to see Lin's stern face. Breathing becomes difficult again as she watches Sanya strain against the metal benders' cables.

"Lin, I can't lose her too."

"Neither can I. But this isn't going to help her."

A cable wraps around Sanya's neck.

"Hey!" Lin's scream booms louder than thunder. The earth beneath them rumbles with her rage. "That's my niece, have some respect!"

The cable unwinds itself from her neck.

"I'll get her out but, I need you to listen to me. Okay?"

Asami is glued to the sight of the water bender struggling to stay on her feet. Sanya looks up and meets her gaze. Her face is soft and apologetic. Asami cannot understand the shame filling the girl's eyes. Her jaw tightens as her head drops. She tries to hide a frown.

"Asami." Lin blocks her view. "Are you okay to drive?"

She stands up straight, no longer leaning into Lin's arms.

"Yeah." She lies.

Lin takes the girl's bloodied hand and raises an eyebrow.

"It's not mine."

The woman nods. She presses a ring of keys into the girl's palm. "I parked around front. Tenzin should be at a council meeting right about now. Get there and tell him what happened, tell him I need aunt Katara at the station. There should be less traffic if you go by the police station. Take your time, don't rush." Her look intensifies. "And don't drop the keys under the seat."

She nods. She looks past the woman to Sanya.

"I'll take care of her." Lin turns around and holds out a hand and lowers it. Without delay, Sanya gets to her knees. "Go." She says to Asami.

The heiress scurries past Lin. She takes one look back to see the master metal bender as she strides over to her fallen niece. Her iron armor is stripped away. She wipes tears from her niece's face. The heiress cannot look. She knows she will have the urge to turn around. She runs past smoldering bits of machinery. Charred bodies of three workers lie beside the equipment they once used. Her stomach churns at the thought of having to tell their families. She runs faster. Once outside, she finds Lin's car past a herd of police vehicles.

She stumbles into the diver's seat and locks the door. Asami stares at the steering wheel. Tears well up in her eyes. A heaviness in her chest becomes overwhelming. It becomes difficult to breath as the ache in her ribs reminds her of its presence. She blinks. A tear falls like the first drop of rain before a storm. She drops the keys and buries her face in her hands. Her shoulders shake with each sob. She does her best to quell her cries, but she cannot find the energy. Her head pounds, images of the factory, of her workers, of her father, of Toph bombard her thoughts. Her stomach lurches each time she whimpers through her hands. She feels as though hope leaves her with each tear. She sighs and wipes tears from her face. She looks into the rear view mirror. Her face is stained with grit and grime. Tracks of dirt and tears run down her face and off her chin. Her eyes are red and puffy, pale with fatigue. A fine layer of ask clings to her hair.

"Oh well." She says to herself.

She looks around the seat for the car keys. _Don't drop the keys under the seat_. Lin's voice echoes in her head. She freezes. Stray sobs cause her to hiccup. She reaches below the seat to find a thermos. Beside the thermos a folder. Finally, the keys.

Asami opens the thermos. A familiar smell greets her. She takes a swig of lukewarm tea. The sudden bitterness in her mouth is like a slap to the face, but brings much needed relief to the desert that has become of her throat. She wets the hem of her shirt and wipes off as much grime as she can from her face. With a shake of the head, ash falls into her lap and onto the seat. She brushes it away. The smell of diluted tea leaves and barley brings her out of her thoughts. She reaches down and takes the folder. A hastily scribbled note falls to her lap.

_Took this from the chief's office. Probably shouldn't have. Doesn't matter, I'll always be THE Chief. Couldn't get the rest. Don't crash my car. -Lin_

She tosses the note aside and flips through the pages in the folder. Police records of her father's suspected activities. A few pages detailing his crimes. A page about the company.

"Oh right, Future Industries has no future. I totally forgot about that." She rolls her eyes.

The last few pages are notes. Scribbled in different handwriting. Suspected activities of the equalist movement. She shoves the folder into her bag. Grit covered fingers drum an off beat melody on the steering wheel as Asami flips through her options in her mind. She takes a deep breath, reaches for the keys, jams a key into the ignition, and stomps on the gas pedal. A sudden rush overtakes her. Wind dries her face and blows through her hair, blowing away any thoughts she harbored. She grips the steering wheel tightly as she tries to concentrate on driving. With another deep breath her hands relax. It has been a long time since she has been behind the wheel. She missed this feeling. She slams on the brakes as drives past the the Republic City police station. A car screeches by, its driver yells obscenities. Asami does not care. She carefully maneuvers the car backwards through oncoming traffic. She ignores the cursing drivers and parks before the entrance to the station.

She looks up as she exits Lin's car. An ever watchful Toph Beifong looks over her city she cannot see. The girl freezes. With a newfound determination given to her by her stone guardian, she marches into the station. A few lower ranking officers scuttle around, carrying loose papers to various desks. Sunlight casts shadows of the window panes onto the floor. The nearly empty halls reveal their loneliness by casting echoes of footsteps and ringing phones. A young man at the front desk holds a phone to his ear. He looks away when Asami makes eye contact. A name tag on his chest reads "LU." The goofy grin on his face makes her roll her eyes.

"No, you hang up first." He giggles.

"Excuse me."

The man holds up a finger to silence her. He chuckles and leans on the counter.

"No, I love you more."

Asami hides her grimacing face behind a dirty hand. A small laugh comes from behind her hand.

"Excuse me." She says louder this time.

Lu glares at her. "I have to go sweetie."

Asami does not hide an exasperated sigh and exaggerated eye roll.

He hangs up the phone. "May I help you?" His words drag, but as soon as he sees the grime covered girl standing before him his eyes widen with curiosity.

Asami puts on her best business smile. "I've been away for a while and my aunt brought in my car. It was in a bit of an accident you see. I was just wondering if I could go about getting that back."

He eyes Asami from top to bottom. "Right, and why would your aunt bring it here?" He takes out a note pad.

"She works here."

"Okay. And your name is?"

"Asami Sato."

He looks up with a raised brow.

"It's a common name." She waves away a question that has yet to leave the officer's mouth.

"And your aunt is?"

"Chief Beifong."

The man cocks his head to the side. "I knew she had a niece, I didn't think,"

"She has more than one niece." Asami cuts him off.

"Right…" He trails off.

"I'll just go check on that for you."

She knows he won't. "Okay, great. Thanks." She flashes him another smile.

He leaves his post and walks down a corridor to the right. "She doesn't even work here anymore." She hears him mutter.

Her eyes follow him. Various doors and offices line the walls. She knows most of the officers are out, most likely at her factory or on patrol. The man walks into a room and closes the door behind him.

Asami slips away from the desk. No one pays any attention to her as she walks by a sign that reads "Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point." Her feet are light, giving the halls no reason to speak of her presence. She keeps an eye out for the door to the chief's office. It is exactly where she thought it would be. Through the office's window, she can see the room is empty. Sunlight creates menacing shadows of the furniture, but she cannot see one shaped like a human. An overly optimistic hand jiggles the door knob. Locked. She blows hair out of her face and contemplates her choices. Without much deliberation, she removes her hair clip. She pulls the metal portion back, creating a makeshift key. She inserts the metal portion into the key hole. _Well, you can't say I didn't try._ A door creaks open behind her. She turns her back to the door and keeps her hands behind her.

A woman with shoulder length black hair and pristinely cut bangs walks out of a door on her left. Dark eyeliner intensifies the green in her eyes. Her strong jaw tightens as she looks over the pile of folders in her arm and notices the girl standing by the chief's door. Asami's hands continue to work the lock. The woman suddenly stops and clutches the files close to her chest. She looks around. Her mouth moves but Asami cannot hear what she says.

"Umm. You are?"

The woman's intense gaze makes her nervous. Asami can feel the blood rushing to her face. She regrets cleaning off the dirt from her face. "I'm… The new girl. Yes, I'm the new girl."

"Oh?" The woman walks closer, her name tag obscured by the files in her hands. "I don't think I've heard of you. I didn't know we had any new people."

"Well, that's why I'm new." A nervous laugh covers up the sound of metal clinking behind her.

"You don't seem to be," Her eyes travel up and down Asami's body. "Dressed for the job."

"I'm undercover. It's all very hush hush right now, my assignment that is. I am to report directly to Chief Beifong."

"She doesn't work here anymore." The woman's voice softens.

Asami realizes she does not know the current chief's name. "She'll always be the chief to me. But I do have to report directly to the chief. It's that important." She fiddles with the lock behind her as she gives a nervous laugh.

The woman raises an eyebrow. "I haven't heard about that."

"Good, means I'm doing my job right." The pounding in Asami's chest settles down.

"But you just told me." The woman's glare becomes more intense.

Asami freezes, nearly dropping her hair clip. "Well, you know. No one likes to be left out of the loop. I thought you should know. In case I need back up or anything."

She nods.

"Hana!" Someone calls from another room. She turns slightly in the call's direction, but her gaze does not falter.

Asami furiously works the lock. _Click_. A grin forms on her face.

"Look, if this is for the Chief I won't say a thing."

The smile on the girl's face drops. Confusion causes her to tilt her head."

"She'll always be the chief to me too."

"Hana!" The voice call out for her again

"I'll leave you to that assignment of yours."

Asami is unable to believe her luck. "Yeah, thanks."

An slight nod is all the woman gives her before walking away. She disappears into another corridor. Asami rushes into the office. She pockets her nearly broken hair clip and begins to rummage around the desk. Various case files regarding crimes around Republic City are all she can find. She tries opening the desk drawers. Locked. There is no time to pick the locks on all of them. She blows hair out of her face. A looming file cabinet covers nearly all of the back wall behind the large oak desk. One by one, she opens them. She does not know what to look for, but hopes to find something useful. She takes all the folders filed under "equalists." Her hand hovers over the files as she chews on her lip. She looks up "Sato, Hiroshi." She takes the file. A searching finger hovers over the block of paperwork. Asami shrugs and takes out her own file. No surprises. Her hand slips as she jams it back into the cabinet. The file preceding her own reveals itself. "Sato, Amai." The heiress swallows a lump in her throat. Tears forming in her eyes blurs her vision, but she blinks them away. Asami grabs the file. Her heart is in no condition to read this now. She shoves the folder in her satchel and dashes out of the office. She keeps her eyes on the floor as she hastily walks back to the front lobby.

"Miss Sato?"

She looks up to find Lu staring at her. "Yes?"

"I couldn't find anything on your car, what were you doing back there?"

Her mouth hangs open. Tired green eyes search the back walls for answer. "Restroom." She flashes another business smile. "I was looking for the restroom and I found it. And no need to worry about the car. I have others. She probably has it at her house. Stupid of me not to think to go there first, huh?" She puts a palm to her forehead and flashes a smile. "Thank you though. Have a nice day!" Her nerves speed up her words.

She bolts past him and quickly makes her way back to Lin's car. A parking ticket on the windshield greets her. Without hesitation, she rips the ticket into confetti and tosses it over her shoulder. Asami hops into the driver's seat and wakes the the Satomobile. She takes one last look at the statue of the greatest earth bender in the world. Waiting. Listening. Guarding. It is those cloudy eyes that bring comfort to her aching heart.


	8. Chapter 8

"How's that feel? Any better?" Korra asks as she maneuvers warm water over the platter sized bruise below Asami's ribs.

The heiress does not respond. She lies on her bed, clutching her shirt to her chest. Her thoughts refuse to let her rest. From the moment she returned to Air Temple Island early that afternoon, she busied herself. Cleaning. Cooking. More cleaning. All futile attempts at curbing her incessant worrying. Lin, Katara, and Sanya have yet to return. Despite all the speeches that everyone gave her about things being all right, her mind can only think the worst.

"Asami?"

She snaps back into the small room.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah, I think I'm good. Thanks." She lowers her shirt and sits up, slinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"No problem. There wasn't much to do, you're a pretty fast healer." The avatar sends a stream of water into a bucket and dries her hands on a towel slung over her shoulder.

Asami does her best to smile.

"I'm pretty sure Bolin didn't eat all the food. You should eat something."

She shakes her head no. "I'm fine, thanks."

Asami stares at glistening black water of the bay. Moonlight sparkles like diamonds on black sand. Korra stands by the window with one hand on her neck and the other fiddling with the towel.

"Nice out." The avatar says.

"Yeah." Asami responds without a thought, her eyes desperately searching for a boat coming their way. "I think I'll go wait outside." She gets to her feet and makes her way to the door.

"Wait!"

Asami turns to face the other girl.

"I just want to, umm, to say, I'm sure she'll be all right."

The heiress nods before she turns to leave again.

"And," Korra takes a step closer. "I never actually got to apologize for the things that happened with Mako. I know it was a while ago, but it's been bugging me ever since you left for Ba Sing Se. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She blurts out.

Asami relaxes her body and turns to face the avatar. The girl looks at her shuffling feet and fiddles with her towel. She scowls in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Here, in this room, the mighty avatar looks like a guilty child admitting she ate a cookie before dinner.

"Korra, it's fine. I forgave you a long time ago. Do you think I would've stayed with you guys if I didn't?"

Korra shrugs. "I guess not. I thought… I thought you stayed for other reasons." Her voice trails off.

"I stayed because you guys are my friends, you're my friend. I stayed because," She remembers the night they discovered her father's sinister plans. "Because you guys were doing the right thing."

The girl still refuses to look her in the eye. She nods with reluctance.

She takes another step toward Korra. "I'm not mad at you or Mako. Not anymore. He tossed me aside like an apple core. But hey, you know what, the seeds in that core don't need fire to grow they need water and dirt. I should actually thank him for that." A melancholy smile appears on her face. She puts a hand on Korra's shoulder, the avatar looks up at her. "You guys seem happy now, I'm really happy for the both of you."

"Thanks."

"But Korra, be careful with him."

The avatar's face hardens, the warrior Asami knows awakens at her words.

"I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Korra looks up, backlash forming in her throat. Her face softens when her eyes meets Asami's. The heiress is not lying. She watches Korra's face, the girl is looking for words she cannot find. Asami does the only thing she can think to do and pulls the girl into a hug.

"Thanks again." Her voice nearly a whisper as she releases her embrace. She walks toward the door.

"Hey," Korra calls out. "She really will okay. Lin will make sure of it."

Asami responds with a smile and walks out the door. She grips her arms as she walks down the empty corridor of the girls' dormitories. Small lanterns line the walls, their yellow glow guiding her to the door. The crisp night air blows through her hair. Her now misshapen hair clip back in it's rightful place. She has others, but this one is her favorite. Her loose skirt flutters around her knees and sends a cold shiver up her legs.

The ocean is calm tonight. A single patrol boat floats far from the shore of the mainland, a small blinking red light alerts people to its presence. Asami sits on the top step of the porch leading into the dormitories. Her unresolved argument with Sanya replays in her mind as guilt builds up in her chest. The incident at her factory causes a heavy heart. She closes her eyes, like closing a damn to prevent a flood. Never in her life has felt so lost as she does now. Her mind flip flops between unbearable rage and suffocating hopelessness. A cyclone of thoughts sweeps her up, but she pulled out of it by the sound of barking.

She opens her eyes to see Jet closely followed by Naga. The wolf's tongue hangs out of his mouth and his ears flop as he bounds toward the girl. Naga's steps are slow as she follows the wolf.

"Hey buddy." Asami says as she rubs Jet's head.

He responds with an affectionate head butt.

Naga lies down beside Asami. "Hello to you too." She pets the massive polar bear dog.

"The wolf's been worried about you all day." A deep voice comes from her right.

Pebble carries an empty metal bowl so large Asami would have needed to use both arms to lift it. He only needs one.

"They tell me you haven't eaten yet. You know how I get when I hear such things." His free hand carries a brown paper bag. "At least have some sweet rolls."

Asami opens her mouth to protest.

"Please?"

She sighs and nods. She gets to her feet to accept the sweet rolls. Jet and Naga begin to play as they wrestle in the dirt.

"These ones are just relentless. No matter how much you tell them to stop, they won't until they're fed." Pebble chuckles.

Asami smiles as she takes a bite out of a sweet roll.

"Well, I'm off. The pups are fed so my work here is done. I'm sure you've had people telling you the same thing all day. You don't need that from me. But please, eat up Miss Sato. I feel as though that is the only comfort I can give. Food." He winks.

The grin on her widens. It feels as though a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Pebble turns to leave, motioning for the animals to follow him. She watches as he walks way followed by a polar bear dog. The wolf stays by her side. She shoves the rest of the sweet roll in her mouth and darts toward the hulking man. She throws her arms around his waist and squeezes.

"Thank you." She says.

He chuckles and pats her arm.

"Li!" The voice Asami has been waiting to hear calls out.

She releases her grip and looks up to find Lin walking towards her. Pebble waves, Lin returns the gesture. Asami runs to the woman with the wolf by her side. Something hits her thigh repeatedly as she takes each step. She waves away Jet thinking it is the wolf's tail. She skids to a stop before the metal bender.

Asami opens her mouth to speak, but the words are caught up in a flurry of thoughts.

Lin raises a hand. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine. Surprisingly."

"I bet you were worried too." She scratches Jet's head.

The wolf reciprocates the gesture by licking Lin's bare hands.

"I heard my niece stopped by the police station earlier today." A crooked smirk grows on her face.

"Right, about that…" Blood rushes to the girl's face.

"I'm assuming you took care of whatever it was you needed to take care of?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Have you had a chance to look through it all?"

"Not really. Just a quick skim of my father's file. It's still in my my bag, in my room. You can take them if you'd like."

Lin nods. "Well, the factory is in pretty bad shape. That second explosion did a number on it, but it's fixable. Remind me to scold Sanya for that."

"Umm." The girl clutches her jacket sleeve. "That was actually me. It was an accident."

In all her time knowing the woman, this is the first time she has seen Lin's jaw drop. "You have been spending too much with my niece." Her steel gaze softens as she laughs.

"How is she?"

"She's fine. Slept most of the day, that's why we came back so late. She's still down by the docks with auntie. No need to worry about her. Except,"

"Except what?"

"That man she blood bent, he didn't make. Lost too much blood. The other two are fine and in custody. She doesn't know yet. I'll tell her when the time is right."

An odd feeling, or rather lack thereof, confuses Asami. This lack of guilt causes actual guilt.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"Yeah. How many more people have to die?"

"I don't know, kid. I really don't know. You've got a lot on your shoulders. Thinking about that won't help. Go spend some time with someone who makes you happy." Her heavy hand pats the girl's shoulder.

She shoves the bag of sweet rolls into Lin's hands and darts past her. Her feet kick up dirt as she jogs down the path to the docks. Jet runs beside her.

"Jet!" She says between breaths, thinking the wolf's tail is hitting her again.

A heavy heart races, not because she is winded, but because of closeted excitement. Asami cannot decide if she wants to hug Sanya or scold her.

She slows her pace when the water tribe women come into view. Their lips move, but she cannot hear what they are saying. Sanya wears clean arm sleeves and a grey shirt with the insignia of the Republic City metal bending police printed on the front. She holds slippers and a bag of sweets in her right hand while her left hand tugs at her arm sleeve. Katara is also barefoot, holding a bag of clothes and her shoes in her arms.

Jet jumps onto Sanya, nearly knocking the girl over. Katara smiles and gives the girl a peck on the cheek before pointing at Asami. The heiress freezes. Sanya's body stiffens.

Katara walks by the girl and puts a hand on her arm. "Don't just stand there." She gives the girl a push.

Her steps are slow. Sanya begins to fidget.

"I only ate a few." She holds up the bag.

Asami takes it, her eyes not leaving the girl's tired face. The blue in her eyes no longer burns with a fury. Healed cuts above her eyebrow are a pale red on her tan skin. Jet stands between them. His head tilts to the side as eyes dart from one girl to the other. He bolts out of the way as Asami lunges at the girl. She throws her arms around the water bender's neck and squeezes.

"Thank you." She whispers in Sanya's ear.

The water bender's arms slide up her back as she returns the embrace. Asami can feel her inhale, the muscles in her back tense. She thinks she might say something. She remains silent. Ashe exhales and relaxes as she gives the heiress a squeeze.

"Umm. Do you want to go out for a bit?" Sanya asks as she steps out of Asami's arms.

"Sure."

Sanya walks down the shore. Asami and Jet follow. They are silent. The sound of gentle waves lapping against the sand is the only sound they hear. The heiress watches the girl walk from behind as she clutches the the bag of sweets close to her chest. Her hair is undone, strands or slivery white hair fly with the gentle breeze. Despite being with Sanya again, she still worries. The worst possible outcomes begin playing out in her mind. She focuses on her breathing and tries to quiet her mind. Jet whines beside her. The wolf looks up. She thinks he might be concerned. Asami places a hand on his back and strokes his fur.

"I'm sure no one will mind if we borrow a boat." Sanya stops by the dock, her thumb pointing to a medium sized motor boat.

"Won't they hear us?"

"Oh Asami, of course not." A mischievous grin grows on her face.

Sanya unties the a rope from a pole on the dock and tosses her shoes into the boat before jumping in. She offers Asami a hand. The heiress does not hesitate and takes the girl's hand.

"Jet, no." Sanya's voice is firm. "Stay. Howl if anything happens."

The wolf whines, but obeys.

Asami sits on the worn leather backseat of the boat. It is hard and the cracks on the leather poke through her skirt and irritate her. She scoots down to the floor.

"Ready?" Sanya asks.

The heiress nods.

The water bender jumps into the water. Her body causing ripples to rock the boat slightly. Jet does not seem concerned as he lies on the dock licking his paws. Just as Asami is about to get to her feet, the boat begins to move. It picks up speed as they leave the harbor of the island. Asami sits with her back against the seat. The boat makes a sharp turn and nearly knocks her over. They make their way to the open sea, away from the island and Republic City. Asami turns around to watch the city shrink. The lights become smaller and nearly fade into the night. The statue of Avatar Aang no longer seems like a giant stone guardian, but more like a child's toy.

The boat slows to a stop. Sanya rises out of the water on a pillar of ice and steps into the boat. She is completely dry. She stands completely still. The heiress looks past the girl. The lights and smoke of the city no longer hide the brilliance of the night sky. Shades of purples and bright slivers are painted onto a black canvas. A nearly full moon watches over them.

Sanya takes a deep breath. She draws a half circle with each hand and holds out her arms with her palms facing her. Her right foot shifts. Swift fists jab the air. Her hands open, palms now parallel to the sea. She exhales as if to tell the restless ocean to settle down.

The gentle rocking of the boat stops. Asami looks out the side of the boat. Sanya has stopped the waves. The water is still, like a giant black mirror reflecting the beauty of the sky. The waves have stopped as far as she can see. The division between sky and sea no longer exists. She reaches over the side of the boat and dips a finger into the cold water. No ripples. She is in complete awe. Her mind goes blank. She catches Sanya staring at her from the corner of her eye.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything this beautiful before." She continues to gaze at the galaxy beneath her.

"Neither have I." Sanya says under her breath, still staring.

Blood rushes to Asami's face. Sanya drops her gaze and stares at her hands when the heiress looks at her. The boat begins to rock gently. The water bender takes a seat adjacent to Asami.

Neither of them say a word. Asami looks down at her bag of sweets and scoots closer to the water bender. She takes a cube and offers it to the girl.

"Thanks." Sanya says with a smile as she takes the candy. "They were supposed to be for you but I ended up eating most of them." She jokes. "They didn't really give me much food at the station."

Asami takes a piece and puts it in her mouth. "I am truly sorry for the things I said that might've hurt you. And for getting you involved in all of this."

Sanya shakes her head. "It's okay. I like to think I walked into right alongside you. And I get it now and I'm sorry for my reaction. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." She finally looks up. "I think I hurt myself to be honest. What a big surprise. Stupid Sanya messing herself up again." She only half jokes.

"Hey now, stop that. Everyone messes up, that's totally normal. And I think we're all still upset over what happened in Ba Sing Se. But you," She points a playful finger at the girl. "Are not stupid."

"Thanks." She lets out a small laugh.

The girls are silent again.

"I don't think there's anything I can say to make things better. What happened to your factory and what's going on with your dad and all. I'm sorry for that. It kind of makes me mad, I feel so useless. But if I can do things like this, to get your mind off things for a bit, I don't know." She runs her hand through her hair. "I tell myself it might help because I really don't know what else to do." Sanya traces the edges of her arm sleeves.

Asami's heart aches. She opens her mouth to speak but she has nothing to say.

She takes Sanya's hand and squeezes it. "Thank you."

The girls are silent. They stare at the moon, the water, the boat's floor, but refuse to look at each other. Asami thinks that time has stopped. Her problems were left on shore and suddenly her memories don't seem so bad.

She lets out a small laugh. "I could've really used your help earlier today." She finds curious blue eyes staring at her.

"I broke into the police chief's office." Confusion contorts her face. "I can't believe I actually said that."

"I can't believe you actually did that."

They both giggle.

"Why did you do that?"

"Lin hinted that there might be some useful files. I don't know, it seemed like the right thing to do." She shrugs.

"How'd you get in?"

She points to her hair clip, a proud grin on her face. "Are you impressed?"

Sanya lets go of Asami's hand and crosses her arms. "Hmm." She strokes an invisible beard. "No, not really." She shakes her head with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Well, what do I have to do to impress you?"

"Get auntie to wear the frilliest, puffiest, dress you can find."

"That's impossible. I'm sorry, I don't think anyone can do that."

Sanya laughs. "It's funny, I should be the one trying to impress you." She rests her head on the side of the boat. Her smile fades as she looks at Asami. "I forgot my name the first time you kissed me. I'd say that's pretty impressive. I think I should try harder. To make you forget all about that fire bender boy and what he did."

"Sanya." Asami gets to her knees and kneels before the girl, making sure she can look no where else. "You just stopped the ocean for me. I've already forgotten all about what happened. So stop worrying about it. And don't you dare ever call yourself dirt again, you hear me? You're amazing and I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who thinks so. Now, I'm going to make you forget your name again, okay?"

The girl slowly nods yes, her eyes filled with awe.

Asami takes her face in her hands. She leans in, but Sanya rises to meet her lips. The heiress feels strong hands on her back, pulling her closer. Sanya's lip are soft and taste of chocolate. Every nerve in her body stands on end. For that moment, her mind is silent.

She pulls away, still holding Sanya's face her hands. "What's your name?" She grins.

"San-"

Asami presses her lips against Sanya's. She moves closer, allowing the girl to pull her in. She pushes apart her knees with her torso and nestles in between them. Sanya's hands slowly run up and down her back. She presses her body against hers. Their kiss deepens. A familiar nagging in the pit of Asami's stomach craves more of the girl. Her taste lingers on the heiress tongue.

She pulls away again. Her breathing is heavy. The water bender's breath dries the wetness on her lips.

"What's your name?" Asami's mouth curls into another mischievous smirk.

"Umm. San-" She replies between breaths.

Asami dives in again. Her lips press harder, wanting to taste more of this girl. She can feel a smile spreading across the girl's mouth. A smile she has seen form many times. A smile she has also seen disappear. Her hands find their way down to Sanya's torso. She slips her hands under Sanya's shirt. The girl's warm skin ignites a fire in Asami. The nagging in her stomach drops below her waist and becomes stronger. It fills her with a sense of urgency. She runs her hand down Sanya's ribs and stomach. Her finger traces the tattoos on her hip. The girls' movement causes the boat's rocking to increase.

Despite her body's protest, Asami pulls away. "What's your name?"

Sanya bites back a grin and pulls her close before pushing her down onto the boat's floor. She straddles Asami's thighs, a curtain of black and silver hair falls down to one side.

"Whatever you want it to be." Sanya's grin widens.

Asami moves strands of white hair out of the girl's face. Her hands run up the heiress' side, causing her body to buck up. Her heart pounds against her chest. She grips Sanya's shirt at the shoulder, pulling the girl closer to her. Her body tingles with anticipation. Asami's eyes are glued to the water bender's mouth. Her mind replays words it has spoken. Her finger traces over newly formed scars above the girl's eyebrow and on her chin. They don familiar pink hue of being healed by a master water bender.

"I'm sorry." Asami whispers.

Sanya gently shakes her head no. "Don't be."

The heiress pulls the girl closer. The hunger in the pit of her stomach screams for attention. Her body craves Sanya. A fires blazes through her body, sending each touch below her waist to intensify this unrelenting feeling. With a sharp inhale, she closes her eyes and, _Honk!_

A boat horn blares.

Sanya jumps off the heiress. "Monkey feathers!" She screams.

A bright red light washes over them.

Asami covers her face. Her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths of frustration. She beings to giggle.

"We're good!" Sanya screams.

The heiress peeks out from between her fingers to find the water bender covering her face with one hand and giving the patrol boat a thumb's up.

"Nope. I lied. I'm not good." She adds as she slips off the boat and into the water.

She can no longer quiet her giggling. Her body screams with protest at the sudden interruption, but the urgent nagging in her soon patrol boat drifts along the water, continuing its duties. Asami pops another piece of chocolate into her mouth as she rests her arms on the ledge. Ripples bounce off the boat's walls. Circles become larger and larger until they disappear. The water is calm again. An exhale leaves her mouth. The reflection of the moon dances on the waves as the boat's gentle rocking relaxes her body. A lazy hand falls over the edge and allows warm fingertips to brush over liquid glass. The water above Sanya has become warmer than the surrounding areas. Bubbles rise to the surface and pop upon touching her fingers. Sanya rises to the surface. A sheet of water falls from her head and into the sea. Her long hair covers her face.

"I had to make sure there weren't any equalist boats lurking down there." Her voice is playful. "In the event that they came to your factory looking to steal boats. Do you guys even make boats?"

Asami nods yes and moves wet silvery hair from the girl's face to reveal bright blue orbs staring back at her. She unwraps a piece of chocolate and puts it in Sanya's mouth. The heiress says nothing as she continues to brush away wet hair from the water bender's face. She exhales as though a sudden weight has been lifted from her back. She wonders what they could have come to steal from her factory that was so important they were willing to attack in during the day. But the thoughts do not bother her.

"Must've been a lot more important than a boat if they went through all that trouble. And in the during the day too. They're either getting very desperate or very confident." Her words carry her nonchalance. "I feel like I should care more than I do right now."

The water bender says nothing. Asami can see the gears churning in her mind.

"But they did go through a lot of trouble to make their fire blue. Why?" Sanya asks.

A bulb goes off in Asami's head.

"You said earlier that the only person who could make fire that color was your aunt Azula, right?"

"Yes."

"What about her brother?"

Sanya shakes her head no. "He's an amazing fire bander, but he just can't do it."

Asami chews over her thoughts.

"What are you saying? They're trying to frame auntie 'Zula?"

The heiress raises an eyebrow.

"I'm listening."

"Avatar day is soon. The fire lord usually comes here to celebrate. Has she ever come with him?"

"A few times."

"The workers, my workers they would've been frantic. Their memories would've been all jumbled up. It would be very easy for someone to manipulate that. If there was any chance of her coming here, they would easily be able to pin it on her."

The water around Sanya begins to swirl. "But why? Auntie doesn't know you. I'm pretty sure she rides in one of your cars too."

"Why not? After all the drama with my father. I'm sure by now most people know how my mother died. The poor little Sato girl with a bankrupt company bulled by the world's greatest fire bender. How easy would it be to rack up sympathy to their cause with that headline?"

"But he wouldn't do that to his own daughter?" The water bander pauses. "Would he?"

Asami falls back on her hands. The realization hits her. "I think I stopped being his daughter a while ago." There is no pain. No sadness. Just confusion and knowledge of the arduous task of acceptance that lies ahead.

Sanya lunges out of the water and wraps her wet arms around her shoulders. Warm water seems into her clothing as she returns the gesture.

The girl releases her. "Sorry." She bends away the water from Asami's clothes and retreats back into the water. "Are you up for some more sneaking around today?"

"I have a feeling you want to do something Lin would not approve of you doing."

"Well, auntie works outside of the law these days. I'm sure she won't be too mad."

"What's your plan Miss Sanya?"

"I am glad you asked, Miss Sato." She rises to her feet, waves the water away from her body, and begins pacing beside the boat. "We go back to the factory and look for clues and any proof of what you're saying. The police would have thinned out by now."

"You want to sneak into a crime scene?"

"That just happens to be on your property. So, it wouldn't technically be sneaking. Who's gonna say anything?"

Asami crosses her arms across her chest and taps her chin with her finger. "Hmm. The entire Republic City police force maybe?"

Sanya stands on still water. "Okay, besides them."

The heiress laughs. "Let's do it."

"All right. Let's break some rules!" A wall of water rises and falls behind her. "I probably shouldn't have done that." She slips down into water.

Asami gets up and sits on the boat's hard bench. "Sanya." She raises her voice. "We might need Jet for this."

A stream of water shoots up and forms itself into a fist with the thumb up.

The boat takes off. The heiress closes her eyes and pretends she is weightless. The frigid wind runs unseen fingers through her hair, carrying away the worries that plague her mind. There is no doubt they will return, but she is grateful for the moment she has without them. She opens her eyes to find the cityscape growing. Avatar Aang proudly looks upon at the city he built.

The boat makes a slight turn and heads toward Air Temple Island. The dock comes into a view. A white ball of fur stirs to life. The wolf paces the length of the dock. He never takes his eyes off them. The boat slows as it nears the dock. Asami wonders how Sanya knew to slow down. With a running start, Jet leaps off the dock and crashes into the boat's floor. He scrambles to his feet and head butts the heiress as he rests his paws on her lap.

"Are you all right buddy?" Her hands furiously pet the wolf. "I need a favor. Can you sniff out some clues for me."

He tilts his head at her words.

"I'm not even sure if you can understand me." She runs her hands through his fur.

The shores of the mainland come into view. The city's bright lights outshine the brilliant stars she saw not so long ago. She turns back and looks out on open water. _Just how far out did we go?_ She wonders.

The boat crawls to a stop, its bottom scraping against the rocky shore. A funnel of water propels Sanya into the air and onto the ground. The girl holds onto her knees and breathes heavily. Asami grabs Sanya's shoes and hops off the boat. A lump hits her thigh. She looks back to find Jet still on the boat. She reaches into the pocket of her skirt to find car keys.

"Oh no, I forgot."

"What?" Sanya asks still resting on her knees.

"I forgot to give Lin back her car keys." She walks over to the water bender. "Hey, are you all right?" She rubs Sanya's back and places her shoes at her feet.

"Yeah, just a little tired." She straightens up.

Jet hurries over to the girls. He begins to whine and lick Sanya's hands. Deep red spots seep through the white fabric of her arm sleeves.

"Spirits, what happened? Maybe we should go back." Asami takes the girls' arm and begins to pull off the sleeve.

"No, we have to go. I'm fine. I didn't even notice!" She puts a hand on Asami's, stopping the sleeve from being pulled any further. "So where did you park?"

The heiress does not answer. Her eyes are glued to the red patches on the water bender's arm.

Sanya takes Asami's face in her hands and forces the girl to look at her. "I'm fine." She says with a weak smile on her face.

"Okay." She nods. "I parked just up here."

They walk up the dirt path in silence. Asami's stomach turns over. The image of Sanya's bloodied sleeves digs up memories she wishes were left buried. How many more people will get hurt because of her?

"Hey." Sanya grabs her hand.

Asami stops and turns around.

The water bender hunches her shoulders and clutches her arm. The winds blows silvery locks out of her face. "Are we okay?"

The heiress exhales. "Yeah. We're okay. She brushes hair out of her face. "I'm okay." An exhale leaves her lips. "You're okay." She squeezes Sanya's hand. "Do you have a plan?"

The girl stands up taller. "Of course! Planning runs in my family." She flashes a grin.

"I'm going to need to borrow your jacket please."

Asami releases the girl's hand and removes her jacket. Sanya removes her shirt and places it over Jet's body.

The wolf does not budge.

"You don't happen to have a hat of some sort do you?" She asks as she buttons up Asami's jacket.

"I don't. I don't think Lin has one in her car either." The heiress chews on her lip. Her eyes light up. "But I think I can get us one." She jogs up the rest of the path.

Sanya and Jet follow.

"Stay here." She holds up a hand.

Few people walk this part of two at the hour. She thinks her plan might backfire. Until she sees him. A man in well tailored suit struts down the street. A leather newsboy's hat sit atop greying hair. She walks out onto the street and holds her nearly empty bag of candy with both hands. She looks up, then down. She makes eye contact with the man in the suit. Asami feigns a smile and flips her hair. She add a wink for good measure before she looks away. _This isn't going to work, what am I doing? _

"Hey there pretty lady. Isn't it dangerous for you to be out on your own so late at night?" A deep male voice says.

_I can't believe it worked._

She feigns another smile as she unwraps a piece of chocolate. "I think it's more dangerous for you." She puts the chocolate in her mouth.

"What?" The man's nervousness shows in his laugh. "Come on, now. Stop playing with me sweetheart."

The heiress giggles and flips her hair again. "Oh, I'm not playing. Don't scream, don't run away, don't try to fight. Keep that smile on your face" The grin on her face widens. "Give me your hat and I'll let you walk away from this."

He strains to keep the grin on his face. A bead of sweat rolls down his face.

Asami grins with her hands on her back as she stands on her toes.

A shaky hand removes the hat from his head and slowly hands it to Asami.

"Thank you." She squeezes his arm and nearly skips away.

She makes her way back to Sanya and Jet. She shoves the hat into the water bender's hands.

"Is hair bending a thing? Because I'm sure that's what you just did." Sanya jokes.

Asami shrugs they jog to Lin's car.

Sanya jumps into the backseat. Jet and Asami take their seat in the front.

"Is auntie's thermos down there some where?"

Asami puts the key into the ignition before reaching under the passenger seat to grab the thermos. "Does she always have one in her car?"

"She does. She takes it every morning but she never drinks it. I really couldn't tell you why."

She tosses the thermos over her shoulder. "Sanya, take off your pants." She says as she begins to wriggle out of her skirt.

Sanya spits strong tea into Jet's face. "This is not how I imagined it would be like when you said that to me."

"What?"

"Sorry Jet!" She rubs the wolf's head as he licks tea off his face.

The heiress can't help but laugh.

"Here you go." Sanya tosses her pants into the front seat.

Asami hands off her skirt.

"Have you got an extra hair clip?"

Asami pulls on Sanya's pants and removes her hair clip. She turns back to see Sanya in her clothes. She cannot hold back a smile. Her jacket fits snuggly over the girl's biceps, but is too short to cover her lower abdomen. Her skirt rides just below Sanya's hips, exposing her tattoos.

"Shut up." The water bender's face reddens as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry. You look good. Really. I never thought I'd see you in a skirt."

More blood rushes to Sanya's face.

"Come here." Asami gestures for her to lean closer.

She obeys. The heiress pulls back strands of white hair. She takes her clip and fastens it to the bundle of white atop the girl's head. Asami leans over to grab the cap and places it on Sanya's head. She adjusts it so it covers all of the white.

"If only I had my make-up bag." An exaggerated sigh leaves her lips.

"I didn't think I looked that bad."

"You don't. That's the problem. You look too good." She leans in a gives the girl a peck on the lips. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go."

Asami starts the car and drive onto the nearly empty street.

"What'll we do when we get there?" Asami asks.

"Tell them you own the place. You want to take a look around. I'm your, umm, lawyer."

"My lawyer?"

"Well, can you think of anything better!"

The gears in her mind turn. "You're my older cousin who happens to be in town and is with me for emotional support."

"Can I also be a lawyer?"

Asami laughs. "Yes." She turns to Jet. "This girl is something else."

He yelps in response.

"Why would we need disguises then?"

"Well, you don't need one. But the police force and I aren't exactly friends right now."

"Spirits, Sanya!"

"If I had money for every time I heard that, I'd be as rich as you."

"How much trouble will you be in if they catch you going back there?"

"Not much. I'm sure they'll just haul me back to the station."

"I'm turning back."

The car screeches to a halt. Drivers behind her honk and curse at her.

"No! We have to do this. We might find something that will help us stop all this nonsense. Asami, I'll be fine. I can't ask you to trust me, but I'm asking you to give me a chance, give this a chance. Please."

Asami turns around. She ignores all the noise from the street. Sanya's eyes plead with her. And she cannot say no. "All right." She stomps on the gas. "But, pull up your skirt. I think your tattoos might give you away."

"Thank you." The girl yanks up her skirt.

She puts more weight on the gas pedal. "Where are you visiting from?"

"Umm. The Fire Nation. That's believable right? I don't look too much like a water tribe girl right now do I?"

Asami adjusts the rearview mirror. Sanya holds on to her hat and fiddles with her clothes.

"I'm sure they won't ask."

"How do we explain Jet."

"Korra has never had to explain Naga, I'm sure we'll be fine."

Sanya looks into the rearview mirror. "Everything will go horribly wrong won't it?"

"Yes, most likely."

The girls laugh.

"Considering everything we've been through, I think we can handle whatever happens tonight."

The heiress watches the girl through the mirror. She thinks back to the night she first met Sanya and everything they have endured since that night. Despite all the pain and bloodshed, this girl still chooses to walk by her side.

"Sanya?"

"Yes Miss Sato." Her voice is high and shaky. "Sorry, I thought I'd try a new voice."

Asami grins.

"Is something wrong?"

"Umm." Her mind cannot find the proper words to express gratitude, guilt, and contentedness. "How's your arm?"

The girl raises an eyebrow. "Just fine. Don't you worry about that."

She cannot help but worry.

They drive by a quiet street. People huddle over fires they've made in trash bins. Tents have been set up on the far side of the street. Asami sees familiar face. She knows these people were bullied by former Councilman Tarrlok. Rage fills her chest to know the current council has done nothing to help them. The car slows.

"Something wrong?" Sanya leans over the front seat.

"These people. I've seen them before. They're all non-benders who were all nearly arrested by a former councilman, a water bender. I can't believe no one has helped them yet."

Sanya falls back into her seat. From the rearview mirror Asami can the girl's face. Eyes under furrowed brows are glued to the mass of people. Her jaw stiffens as she clenches her fist.

"Please don't think we're all like him." Her voice is softer than usual.

"I don't."

"Can we help them?"

"We'll do our best."

To her right Asami sees a man walking a bit too upright to be one of the non-benders living in this camp. He grins as he pushes a young woman out of the way. She begins to shake. Asami removes her foot from the pedal and lets the car roll forward. He grabs her by the shirt, but she removes it and tries to run. With a slide of his foot, the ground beneath the woman slides back. She tumbles forward. He towers over her, his menacing grin widens. He stomps his foot. A wall of earth prevents the woman from crawling any further. Asami's grip on her steering wheel tightens. Before she can jump out of the car, a jet a shining flash whizzes by her. The man is pinned to a nearby building by shards of ice. A puddle beside him turns into a frozen ball and hurls itself int his stomach. He screams. A group of six men round the corner upon hearing the cry. They run to the man.

"Asami, would you be so kind as to drive a bit faster please."

Her foots drops on the pedal. The car lurches forward. She sees angry faces searching for the culprit in her mirror.

"I'm not in the mood to fight anyone else today." Sanya slumps in her seat.

The rest of the ride is silent. Asami has the feeling it has been a long time since Sanya has been back in this city as the girl spent most of the ride taking in every bit of scenery. The factory comes into view. Four cars marked with the police department's insignia are parked nearby. Asami takes a sharp turn, making her tires scream. Jet falls into her lap and whines. She parks away from the police vehicles.

"Could've warned me." Sanya is sprawled out in the backseat.

"Sorry." She looks past the girl. "You were right, there aren't that many of them now.

"Don't sound so surprised." Sanya teases. "Can you check the glove compartment. There should be a pair of glasses in there."

She complies despite her doubts. Much to her surprise a silver tube rolls out onto her hand. "I didn't know Lin wore glasses."

"She doesn't like to, so she never wears them." Sanya grabs the case. "I thought this would add to the look." She slips the glasses onto her face.

The heiress gives her a thumbs up. "Let's go."

The girls hop out of the car, Jet follows. Asami hopes luck is on their side as they walk by the police vehicles.

Sanya stumbles. "I didn't know auntie's glasses were so strong."

Asami takes her arm and guides her. "Jet, take the other side."

The wolf obeys.

A woman stands guard at the entrance of the factory. She is tall and unmoving, a living statue at her post. Her dark eyes scan the surrounding ares until they land on the girls.

"Excuse me ladies, you are not allowed on this property. If you would kindly vacate the area we won't have any trouble here." Her voice stern and confident, a voice one might think a police officer to have.

"Why am I not allowed on this property? This is my property." Asami says as they near the guard. She turns to Sanya as they stop before the entrance beneath a streetlight. "Is this not my property?"

"This is your property." She puts a hand on her hip and adjusts her glasses.

The guard raises an eyebrow. "You're Asami Sato?"

"I am."

"She is."

The guard turns to Sanya. "Have we met before?"

"No." Sanya turns away."

"Right… So… Who are you?"

"Miss Fire."

"Miss Fire?" The guard and Asami say at the same time.

"Yes." Sanya holds her head high.

"Do you have a first name Miss Fire?"

"Sapphire."

"Sapphire Fire?"

"Okay, then Miss Fire I'm sure you're aware who I am."

Sanya scoffs and leans back, exaggerating her every move. "I didn't realize this was a game of who in the world are you."

Asami's elbow jams into the girl's side. "My apologies for my cousin. You know how lawyers are, always so defensive."

"And what about the mutt?"

Jet tilts his head.

"It's her seeing eye… Wolf. She doesn't have the best eyesight you see." Asami adds.

Sanya points a finger to the left of the guard. "He is a rare, majestic wolf. Not some common goat dog. Got it?"

Asami turns her slightly so she faces the woman.

The guard raises an eyebrow. "Right. Well, we can't let you in ma'am."

"Why not?"

"Crime scene."

"I am fully aware of that. But this is still my property."

"We have permission from the police chief to head on in." Sanya adds.

"No one told us."

"We're telling you now." Asami says.

The woman is unmoving. She shifts her weight as her eyes dart from Asami to Sanya to Jet.

"Have you any idea what sort of trauma this young woman has endured?" Sanya takes a step forward. "All this equalist nonsense, then her factory gets blown to bits! Her life was in this factory! Would it be so much trouble for her to take a look inside and grab what few precious belongs survived this horrible attack! And the chief's word is not good enough for you? The audacity!"

"Umm. Well, I guess-"

"You guess! You have no idea what it's like for her! And now she can't even go inside her own factory! What's next? Her home?" Sanya glares at space left of the woman.

Asami turns her toward the right direction.

Sanya's glare intensifies.

The formerly unmoving statue now turns into a fidgeting girl. "I guess I can let you in."

"Good." Sanya takes a step back and crosses her arms. "Clear out whoever is in there as well."

"I don't think I can,"

"Are we not allowed our privacy as citizens!"

"Well, ma'am I'm not really allowed to,"

Sanya glares. Asami looks down at her feet, doing her best to look as innocent as newborn cub. Jet whines.

"Fine." The woman drops her stiff demeanor. "Just wait out here. I'll give you the go ahead." She opens the door and walks through.

"Sapphire Fire? Really?" Asami does her best to contain a laugh as the heavy steel doors close.

"I panicked! I remembered a story Grumps told me and that the first thing that came to mind."

Asami hides her giggling face behind a hand. "I really didn't think that was going to work. Good job Miss Fire."

"Have a little more faith in me Miss Sato."

"What are we looking for in there anyway?" Asami keeps her voice down. "Wouldn't the police have taken anything that was worth taking?"

"Well, I think kept them busy this afternoon so there wasn't much time for that. They would be doing that now I think. Let's just hope they're too tired to do any real digging." She points to Jet. "And you. Sniff out anything. Anything that isn't food." She pats his head.

The heavy steel door creaks open. The woman who stood guard walks out followed by a woman. A familiar piecing green eyes greets Asami.

"What's going on here?" The woman asks.

"Well, Sergeant Hana these girls need to take a look inside."

The heiress freezes. Could she really trust this Sergeant Hana? She holds her breath in an attempt to hide her nerves.

"You." Sergeant Hana points to Asami. Her piercing green eyes stare at her.

The heiress do not say a word. She does her best to be like Lin, offering her best impression of the woman's iron gaze.

"The Chief told me about you. She said you're made of stone. You're a sly one too. How's that super secret mission of yours going?"

"Oh, it goes." A nervous laugh escapes her lips.

"She? Ma'am the chief isn't a she."

"Lin Beifong will always be my chief."

A wide grin appears on the water bender's face. There is no doubt in Asami's mind that she is trying to contain her pride.

Sergeant Hana opens the door. "Hey, all of you drop what you're dong and get out here. We're taking a break. Tea on me."

"Ma'am, you'll get in trouble for this."

"Yes, I probably will." She walks away as nine other officers gladly follow her off the premises.

The woman fidgets before ultimately giving in and following as well.

"What was that all about?" Sanya asks.

"Oh, nothing."

They walk in through the door with Jet behind them.

"Do you know that woman?"

The heiress grins. "Why do you ask? Are you jealous?"

"No!" Sanya crosses her arms.

Asami punches the girl's arm.

"Doesn't it feel like this was a bit too easy?" Sanya asks.

"A little bit. I'm not complaining. I'll take what I can get these days."

"What has become of our lives that we become suspicious when things are not painfully hard."

Asami shrugs. She agrees with her and in her mind she laughs. The weight of truth in her words is a reality too heavy for her to carry. So, she laughs.

Jet runs ahead of them. He disappears into the darkness of what is left of the factory. The smile disappears from her face. The bodies have been cleared out, but their shadows remain. Large chunks of the ground are missing. Towering heaps of scorched dirt and rocks litter the floor. Water dripping from within echoes throughout the building. An eerie humming fills her ears. The moon does her best to give them light, but only slivers of her silvery beams make it into the factory. Street lights from nearby add soft yellow light to the factory. Charred arms of once mighty metal giants lie on the floor, still and unmoving. She does not know where her companions have wondered off to, for she momentarily forgets she has companions. Asami feels as though she stands alone in the wreckage. She swallows a lump in her throat.

"Hey, I found some of that stuff, but it's all burnt," Sanya stops speaking and walks over to Asami. "Are you all right?" She puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I just never thought I'd see it like this. All my life I've walked into this place thinking it was just so full of wonder. And now… Now it's like this. "

Sanya says nothing.

"Anyway, sorry. What did you find?"

"That stuff they used to make the fire blue." She hold up her hand to reveal blacked crystals. "Jet!"

The wolf comes running out of the darkness.

Sanya keeps her hand on Asami's shoulder while she offers the other to the wolf. Jet sniffs the black substance, sneezes, then runs off into the darkness.

The girls stand in silence, both staring into the darkness. Sanya runs her hand across Asami's shoulders. The heiress leans into her.

"Sorry, your jacket is kind of tight." The water bender lets out a light chuckle before unbuttoning the jacket. "I don't want to rip it or anything."

"It's a just jacket. Don't worry about it. Just this. It's just a factory."

"It's not. I know that." She points to a pile of rubble. "I bet tiny Asami used to play over there." Her arm sweeps over to a hole in the wall. "I bet she got in trouble over there."

The heiress can't help but smile. "Thanks. For coming with me."

"Sapphire Fire's here for you any day." She winks.

"That's great, but I think I'd prefer Sanya."

Jet yelps nearby.

Sanya is quick to answer the wolf's call. She takes Asami by the hand and nearly drags her in the direction of the cry. They find Jet clawing at a pile of rubble. Sanya gets to her knees waves the wolf away. _Tap, tap, tap._ Asami whips her head around. She looks down to see Sanya trying to dig into the debris. Jet is tense. Staring in the direction Asami heard the noise. She motions for the wolf to follow her. With light feet she ventures toward the noise. The sound of something hitting water comes from her left. Jet prowls beside her, he keeps his body close to the ground.

"Jet, go." She whispers.

He presses his nose to the ground and wanders off. Asami's eyes do no strain to look through the curtain of darkness. She trusts what her ears tell her. Soft footsteps surround her. She cannot tell where they coming from or who is making them. They are too light to be Sanya's feet. Jet appears by her side. He bares his teeth and snarls at the shadows. She stares beyond the wall of moonlight between her and a black void. His ears are pulled back as his paws refuse to stay planted on the ground. The heiress is frozen. The wolf does not wait for instruction. He lunges forward. A man screams.

"Jet! Come back."

He bounces back to her. Standing before her feet, still baring his teeth.

"Bad move, girl." A horse male voice calls out.

"Yeah, I seem to be making a lot of those lately." She says to herself.

A masked man lunges across the sea of moonlight. Asami flinches and readies herself for a fight. Her attacker steps into a puddle. But he does not step out. Ice crawls up the man's body, stopping just below his neck. He wriggles and grunts as he tries to break free.

"You didn't think I'd be stupid enough to come alone, did you?" She relaxes her body.

Asami turns around to find Sanya standing behind her partially veiled in darkness. She folds her arms across her chest. Her left hand holds a small white bundle of cheese cloth.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Asami takes a step closer.

He mumbles under his breath.

The heiress takes another step and removes his mask.

"Lu?"

"You know him?" Sanya inquires.

She turns to face the water bender. "He works the front desk at the police station." She turns back to face Lu. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I'd tell you." His lips turn blue. "You think I was stupid enough to fall for your little trick at the station? Well, Miss Sato-"

"Yeah, no one asked guy. Just tell us what you came here for." Sanya interjects.

Asami hushes the girl. "But you work for the police. I don't understand."

"B-but you should." His eyes are glued to the heiress. "Y-you're not a b-bender. I u-used to be."

"Sanya, let him go. He might not last much longer."

"G-gonna listen to y-your master, ice s-savage?"

He is ignored.

"But, he'll run."

"I'll b-bash your f-face in first."

"He might die if we leave him in there."

"Okay…"

"Y-you'll die. J-just like everyone y-you loved." He grins. He knows he has hit a nerve.

She tightens her jaw. "Make him a puppet."

Sanya's mouth hangs open as she shakes her head no, pleading with the heiress to not make her do it again.

Asami turns around and mouths, _I'm sorry. I'm bluffing._

The ice melts away and creates a large puddle beneath Lu's feet. The cold has made his body limp.

Sanya is quick to place herself behind him. He trows his head back and catches Sanya off guard. The glasses fall from her face and crunch under Lu's boot. A few well placed punches sends Lu to the ground. The water bender takes his hands holds them behind his back as she makes him kneel.

"All good?" Asami asks

The girl nods. "I'll have to buy auntie new glasses though."

"What are you doing here?" The heiress asks.

He spits at her. She steps back, avoiding the ball of saliva. Sanya jams a knee into his back. He flinches in pain.

"Disrespect her one more time and I'll make you're spitting out your lungs."

"Sanya." The heiress holds out a hand.

She relaxes and removes removes her knee from his back.

"We'll let you go. Just tell us what you're doing here. Or we can call the police back in. It's up to you."

"I used to be like them. Then that Amon took my bending. I got demoted. I ended up a receptionist." He scoffs. "You don't know what it's like to feel so useless. Like everyone looks down on you."

"I do know. I'm not a bender either. As I'm sure you are aware."

"Yeah, whatever. At least these equalist guys respected me. Treated me like I was a person instead of a servant you can just order around."

"I understand."

"No, you don't. You have money. You have a safety net. I don't. And look at you now. Ordering around your bender bodyguard. Traitor. You could never know. None of you can."

"You're right. I will never know what you're going through or what you're feeling. She will never know either." She points to the girl restraining him. "But you don't have to do this. I understand what you want, what you need but this isn't the way to get it."

"There is no other way!"

"There's always another way."

He scoffs and looks away.

"I don't think he'll tell us anything more." Sanya adds.

Asami stares at a hole in the ceiling and lets out a deep breath. She struggles to turn the gears in her mind.

Something scratches at her leg.

"Jet, not now." She tries to wave him away.

"Yes, Jet now!" Sanya says.

Asami looks down to se the wolf holding a small leather bound journal in his mouth. Bits of paper jut out and stick to Jet's saliva. The heiress holds out her hand.

"Hey, that's mine. You can't go through that." Lu says.

Jet places the journal in her hand.

"Finders keepers." Asami looks through the journal.

Hand drawn blue prints of the factory and the police station take up multiple pages. Notes with dates and coordinates as well as pages of messy handwriting take up the rest of the pages. Handwriting she is very familiar with decorates the pages. She closes it tucks it under her arm.

"It belonged to my father. And as his daughter, I think it belongs to me now."

"Freeze his hands and feet then let him go. We have to talk to Lin." She walks away from Lu. "Good job Jet."

Sanya obeys. "Sorry." She says to the man.

"You? Sorry? For what?" He mocks.

"Everything." Sanya freezes his hands and feet before gently placing him on the ground.

Sanya catches up with the heiress. "Back to the island then?"

Asami nods yes. "This has my father's handwriting. He's planning something and I don't like it."

"We might finally have the upper hand? This is a weird feeling."

They exit the building.

"Sanya," The heiress stops walking. "Why did you apologize to him?"

"Because he's right." A sad smile spreads across her face. "Things are easier for us. Most of us take advantage. It's not fair. I didn't know what else to do so I apologized."

"I don't think he believed you."

"Do you believe me?"

Asami nods yes.

"That's all I need right now then." She takes Asami's hand. "Now, we've got more stress to give auntie!"

"Are you sure this is your father's handwriting?" Lin flips through the pages of the journal.

"Positive." Asami answers.

"Right." She turns to face Sanya and the heiress. "Should I ask about the wardrobe change?" Her eyes scan each of the girls from head to toe.

"You should not." Sanya answers. She leans in close to her aunt. "I borrowed your glasses by the way. I dropped them and they broke. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Gives me another excuse not to wear them." The woman whispers.

The group is silent as they stand around Tenzin's dining room. Korra, Mako, and Bolin stand in the far side of the room. Katara sits between Jet and Pebble. The wolf is nearly asleep in her lap as the large man beside her tends to her cup of tea. Sanya stands behind Asami, rubbing her newly healed arm.

"And what about this powder?" Lin picks up the cloth bundle.

"They put it in fire and it turns it blue. I saw some people making this back at Ba Sing Se university. You can mix and match to turn fire yellow or green." Sanya steps in.

"I didn't know you went to Ba Sing Se university." Asami inquires under her breath.

The water bender grins, doing her best to look innocent. "I was kicked out for causing an explosion in one of their labs."

"I guess you could say, you had a blast while you were there." Bolin bursts into a fit of laughter before being nudged into silence by his brother.

Sanya sends him a thumbs up and wink.

"Anyway, back to the point." Lin draws their attention to the now opened bundle in her hand. "Why go through so much trouble to make blue fire?"

"To frame Azula of course. She will be here in place of Zuko this year." Katara adds with nonchalance in her voice.

"I knew it!" Sanya's face is determined. "It's so easy to frame her too."

"Frame who?" Tenzin walks in through the door.

"When is auntie coming in?" Lin asks.

"In five days. She'll be here the day before Avatar day."

"He has to be planning to do something on Avatar day then. Do you think we can stop them?" Asami asks Lin.

"Maybe. We'll have to go through this first." She tosses the journal to Tenzin. "Take a look." She turns to Korra. "Sorry kid, looks like someone wants to mess up your day."

"What else is new?" The avatar shrugs.

"We have to keep Korra safe then." Mako adds.

"I'm pretty sure we don't. She's water tribe, we're tough girls. Plus, I'm sure she's up for a fight." A mischievous smirk spreads on the faces of each of the water tribe women.

"Do we even have a plan here?" The avatar asks.

"Yes." Asami stands up straighter.

"Stop whatever my fath-" She pauses and swallows a lump in her throat. "Stop whatever Hiroshi Sato plans on doing. Protect the people who show up for Avatar day. Then give the equalists what they want. To stop all this mess once and for all." She takes a step forward.

"What?" Korra exclaims.

"You've got to be kidding." Mako throws his arms in the air. "You want to give them Korra?"

"No. Who said anything about giving up Korra?" Sanya retorts.

"We can't give them what they want. It's too dangerous."

"You assume you know what they want?" Asami's voice is soft amongst the raised voices.

"Well, no." Mako answers.

"Either way, these are dangerous people Asami." Korra steps forward. "I don't think you know,"

"I know Korra. I know. Those people took away their mother." She points behind her to Lin and Sanya. "Those people killed my workers. Destroyed my factory." Her voice begins to shake. "Took my father. Do you not think I understand how dangerous they are?" She wipes stray tears from her eyes. "They'll just keep getting more and more dangerous unless they get what they want." She turns to Tenzin. "All the members of the council are benders. Correct?"

The air bender nods.

"The last time there was non bender on the council was Sanya's grandfather. I think now is the time to change that. Everyday these people go without equality they'll get more violent."

"I'm in no position to,"

"Yes you are." Katara speaks. All are silent.

"Your father and I built this city with our friends. Some of whom were non-benders. My own brother, Sanya's grandfather could not bend. Have you been outside of the council room, outside of this temple to see how these people are living?"

"But mother,"

"Answer the question Tenzin."

Tenzin looks down at his feet and shakes his head no.

"Your father would not have wanted this."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but they did take my bending away." Korra adds.

"They want us equalized! They want to take our bending away!" Mako protests. "They took Korra's bending!"

"They took mine too, but you as you can see that didn't turn out to be much of a problem." Lin crosses her arms.

"They. You keep saying they like equalists represent all non-benders. How dare you judge entire group of people based on the actions of a few." Asami voice rises. "If I did that I would not be standing here with you today."

The girl's gaze momentarily meets Katara's. The old woman nods and gives her a weak smile.

"Maybe if we could talk to someone to explain that being equal doesn't mean all being the same." Sanya is uncertain of her words. "Like Jet eats meat but Oogi doesn't. Being equal means, I think, we give Jet a plate of meat and we give Oogi a plate of vegetables and not giving both of them meat or both of them just vegetables. Because then they're equal, but not the same." She scratches her head. Asami can see the thoughts flying around in her head. "Right?"

"That's actually a really smart thing you just said." Lin pats her niece's shoulder.

"Don't sound so surprised." Sanya backs into the wall with a smirk.

"She makes a good point. You have no idea what it's like for a non bender out there. You will never know and all I'm asking is you understand so maybe, just maybe, we can stop this." Asami says. "We keep sweeping this issue under the rug, it'll just get worse for everyone if we don't deal with it now."

"The girl is right." Katara takes a sip of her tea. "Li, sweetheart, was growing up hard for you?"

"Oh dear lady, the Beifongs treated me well."

"Hmm. Yes. And others, how did they treat you? Were you ever bullied by benders?"

"I suppose. Working at the Earth Rumble stadium. But it could not be helped I suppose."

"I see. Thank you." Katara rises to her feet with Pebble's assistance. "Tenzin, listen to her and don't stay up too late. Lin be good. We'll figure this out." Li escorts her out of the room. Jet follows.

"So, we give them what they want. But how?" Sanya asks.

"I don't know yet. We have to stop whatever they're planning to do on Avatar day. Maybe we can talk to some of them and some other non benders as well." Asami answers. "But we make the first move. I want to take out as many of their weapons as I can because I am tired of just sitting around waiting for them to attack."

"Sounds good." Lin turns to Korra. "You're unusually quiet. What do you think. You have the power to make this sink or swim."

"This is all so messed up. We should be arresting all of them." Mako crosses his arms.

"Excuse me, did I ask you to speak?" Lin's signature iron glare reduces the fire bender into a frightened little boy.

He shakes his head no. His brother wriggles behind him.

"Korra?"

"Umm. I think it makes sense. But, I think we should take care of whatever they have planned first."

"Lin, we can look through this tomorrow. Asami you can join us if you wish." Tenzin holds up the journal. "But I think it would be best if we all went to bed tonight."

"You're such a momma's boy Twinkle Toes." Lin chuckles.

The man waves away her laughter and leaves the room.

The woman turns to Asami. "Hey, I'm with you on this. But you should get some sleep." Her finger sweeps across the remaining people in the room. "Same goes for all of you."

She leaves them alone.

The heiress chews on her lip. The motor in her head races to find solutions to this seemingly everlasting problem. A gentle hand rubs her back. She knows it is Sanya, but she does not look back.

The group stands around the dining room. Each having so much to say, yet having too little courage to speak.

"You can't be serious can you?" Mako finally asks. "About giving them what they want?"

"They want to be treated equally, to stop being bullied. You can't deny you have an advantage. They just want to live their lives."

"After all they did!"

"You don't seem to be understanding the difference between a militant terrorist group and a family of non-benders just wanting to not be bullied by a gang." Sanya takes a step forward.

The fire bender takes a step back. "I heard you can blood bend."

Bolin steps in. "Hey now, everyone. No need to be hostile. We're all friends here right?"

"Is that true?" Korra asks.

"Why does it matter if it is?" Asami answers.

"We've just had a bit of bad luck with blood benders is all. Guys, really. Chill out. You're making Pabu nervous." The fire ferret pokes its head out of the boy's shirt.

"Aunt Katara can blood bend too. She had to do it when she needed to protect her family and friends. Why would you treat her any differently?" Asami's voice wavers.

They are silent. Pabu chirps in the boy's shirt.

"Hey, I think you're pretty cool. And I can't speak for my bro but, I consider us buddies. I don't care if you can blood bend." Bolin finally says to the water bender. "I really don't think we should talk about any of this now. We're all tired and probably hungry. This is a conversation best left to be had after a huge breakfast."

"He's right." The avatar says.

The earth bender looks around, eyes wide with surprise. "You actually listened to me? What?" He is giddy with newfound sense of importance.

"We'll talk later okay?" Korra says to Asami.

She nods and does her best to smile.

"Hey, uhh, sorry." Mako says to both the girls.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"We have to trade some jokes sometime!" Bolin says to Sanya.

"Definitely." She takes off her hat and places it on Bolin's head and winks.

The boy is ecstatic.

The group walks out of the room leaving Sanya and Asami alone. The heiress exhales and drops her shoulders. She turns into Sanya and buries her face into the girl's chest. The water bender wraps her arms around her.

"I'm just so tired." Asami's voice is muffled.

"I know. Your thoughts are heavy. I would carry them for you if I could."

The girls stand in each other's arms in silence. The thoughts in her head soon tire of their constant buzzing. Her body relaxes as the dull thumping of Sanya's heart beat nearly lulls her to sleep.

"Aunt Toph would be on our side, right?"

"Of course."

"I miss her." She squeezes Sanya.

"She would have been so proud of you."

"Of us."

"Sanya, can you sleep in my room tonight? Please? I don't want to be alone tonight."

The water bender holds her tighter. "As you wish Miss Sato. Just remember, you're not alone anymore. As long as auntie and I can help it you never will be."

She does not answer for she has no words. All this time she thought she had no family. It took her this long to realize she has gained a new one.


	9. Chapter 9

The cool morning breeze plays with the steam from her tea cup. She leans on the doorway, searching the sea for a flash of white hair. Asami sighs and looks into her cup. She rubs away the last bits of sleep from her eyes with the hope that yesterday's memories will vanish as well. Thoughts of things that must be done become overwhelming. Before her mind can think of a solution to one problem, another is born. She covers her eyes with her free hand and focuses on her breathing. Republic City's air smells of seas and smoke. The wind is gentle against her face. The hot porcelain cup in her hands nearly burns her palm. The sound of boots crunching on gravel breaks her concentration.

"Hey." Lin greets her.

"Morning, Chief. Up for a morning walk?"

"Went home for a bit. Where's Twinkle Toes?"

"Air bending training with Korra and the kids. Did you happen to see Sanya near the docks or by the beach?"

"In the water."

Asami nods and stares at her tea.

"Are you all right?" Lin stops before her and crosses her arms.

"Yes, just tired I guess."

"Don't tell me you and Sanya got into another fight."

Asami shakes her head.

"I didn't think so. She did come out of your room this morning." The woman raises an eyebrow.

The girl raises a finger to deny claims not yet spoken. "Whatever you're thinking is probably wrong. She slept on the floor the whole night."

"Of course she did. We raised her better than that." A crooked grin grows on Lin's face. "Raised her well enough to at least take you out on a boat."

The girl hides her face behind her hand. "You heard about that?"

She nods.

"Well, I didn't get to drink out of that tall glass of water." Asami bites back a laugh.

Lin's eyes widen. "I did not need to hear that about my niece." She allows herself to laugh. "You have been spending way too much time with her."

The sound of the woman's laughter brings a smile to her face. Asami's grip on her cup loosens. "It's nice to hear you laugh again."

"It's been a while." Lin regains her composure.

"How are you holding up?"

"Like a rock." The metal bender straightens her back and looks out onto the sea.

Asami wants to say something. She wants to question the woman's answer, but all she can do is stare.

"But even rocks crack, I suppose." Lin drops her head. "Doing my best. Still having bad dreams. Still missing mom. Worrying about you. Worrying about Sanya. The girl's here for two days and she already gets arrested. I guess it isn't her fault." She raises a finger to Asami. "Don't you dare say it was yours."

The girl giggles.

"But, she's doing better. Thanks to you of course."

"Me?"

"When was the last time you saw her clawing at herself? From what you tell me, she actually stopped to think about something? And didn't cause an explosion? You're a miracle worker."

Asami chews on her lip. She can feel blood rushing to her face.

"If only mom could see her now."

"I think she'd be proud of you too."

Lin shakes her head. "She'd say, 'Linorra, you haven't trained her in how many days? Stop being a lazy lily liver!' In that way only she could say it." She removes her coat. "So, come on. We're going to train."

Asami shrugs and obeys. She knows better than to question a Beifong woman. She crouches to set her tea cup down, but a gloved hand stops her.

"Keep it. Hold onto it. Do not let one drop hit the ground."

"What?" Her jaw hangs open.

"You heard me."

The girl nods. She unbuttons her top and removes it. She is careful not to spill her tea as she slings her top across her shoulder. Asami follows Lin to a clearing just beyond the house. Lin tosses her coat onto to patch of grass. Asami follows suit. Before her top can hit the grass, the ground beneath her feet shakes. A pillar of earth rises under her left foot. She sways and stumbles, but does not drop her cup.

"Good save." Lin slides her foot across the dirt.

Asami plants her feet on the ground. Her grip is light.

"Keep it up." The woman stomps her foot.

Small columns of earth jump at her feet. She slides between each column.

"Can I ask you something?" Asami asks as she keeps her eyes on the ground.

Lin nods as she hurls a block of earth past the girl's head.

"When you do that thing where you see using the vibrations in the ground." She slips. She puts her free hand on the ground and pushes herself up, jumping away from a stone pillar. Her tea cup still holding its contents. "Can you feel it through your shoes or do you have to be barefoot? And what exactly does it sound like? Or feel like?"

"It's easier barefoot." She raises a fist. Four columns as tall as Asami rise from the ground. "But after a few years, I learned how to do it with shoes on as long as the soles aren't too thick." The columns rush toward the girl. "It doesn't really sound like much. I don't know how to explain it. Everything and everyone has a different sound and feel."

Asami dodges the columns. She kicks the top off the nearest one, careful not to spill her tea. "Those giant things the equalists use, what do they sound like?" A ledge of earth appears before her right foot. She stumbles. Liquid jumps from her cup. She does her best to catch the airborne liquid in her cup. She grabs her tank top and pulls it forward. The tea soaks into the fabric. "You said don't let it hit the ground, you never said anything about not letting it hit me." A smirk on her face mimics Lin's crooked grin.

"Clever." She flicks a finger. A slab of earth under Asami rises and flings itself into the air.

The girl leaps backward. Not a drop of tea is spilled.

"As for those things, they sound a bit like a low do you ask?"

"Just curious." She dodges pillars of stones and dances around hovering chunks of earth nipping at her ankles and wrists. "Before they came into the factory I heard a low rumble." She staggers. "But, no one else could hear it."

Lin nods then hurls balls of stone at the girl.

"Why is metal bending so hard to learn?" Asami asks.

"Metals are so processed. So different from earth. But, if you've been around them long enough you realize they're not at tough as they seem." She watches Asami dance around her earthen henchmen. "I've been around metals and earth all my life. They seem exactly the same to me. But you, you've been around more metal than earth, I'm assuming. I wouldn't be surprised if you found metal bending to be easier."

Asami laughs. "I'm not a bender."

"Maybe not."

The girl slides away from a small mountain of stone rushing at her. More drops of green liquid stain her white tank top. She remembers Toph's hopes of having her become an earth bender. _She is something special_, the woman once said. The girl's heart drops. There might not be a heavier sorrow than disappointing someone you love. She grits her teeth and tightens her grip. This feeling must be buried.

"I looked through those files."

Asami does not answer.

"I took the one about your mother. I want to solve the case, find those people. Is that okay with you?"

"What?" She drops the cup. Tea splashes onto her boot and seeps into the ground.

"If that's not okay, I'll return the file. I should have asked first, but you've got enough to worry about."

The girl is motionless. She searches the ground for words, but like the tea she spilled, her responses have seeped into the earth. Her mother's voice echoes in her head. She remembers her laugh, her smile, her face. These memories are becoming harder to recall with each day. The thought of finding the men who took her mother puts her in a stasis.

"Hey." Lin puts her hand on Asami's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She shakes away the brewing storm of thoughts in her head.

"I've got the file at home. I'll give it back. I just thought you could use some closure."

"No, no. It's fine. I think so too. I never thought there was a chance of actually finding them."

"I won't stop until it's finished, so you better be sure of this."

Her jaw tightens. The memory of her mother fades. "I'm sure." She looks directly into Lin's iron gaze. "Are you? You don't have to do this for me."

"Yes I do. If I find them, we'll be even"

She chews on her lip and holds the words in her mouth. She nods. "Thank you. It means a lot."

The woman squeezes her shoulder. "You dropped the tea." She points to the ground as she walks away.

Asami grins. "I guess I need more training."

The earth rises, offering her the now empty cup. She takes it and brushes off dirt from its rim.

"Horse stance kid, palm up. Don't drop the cup."

The girl immediately obeys. There is no liquid of which she must be weary, simply a cup sitting on her palm. She exhales in preparation for a barrage of stone. Lin stands with her hands on her hips, metal serpents dance at her wrists. The ground begins to shake. The earth's low roar fills her ears. The late morning sun washes away the ribbons of cool sea air wrapping around her bare arms and face. Lin extends her arms, serpents rush toward her.

"Chief Beifong!" A child screams.

The serpents drop at Asami's feet. Meelo falls from the sky and into Lin's arms. The woman's eyes widen with surprise. His sisters come running after him.

"My dad's looking for you. He said to tell you he'll be in the dining room." Jinnora says.

"What are you guys gonna talk about? Is it a secret? Can I know?" Ikki inhales. "Do you still love my daddy?"

Lin's mouth hangs open as she sets Meelo down on the ground.

"It's grown up stuff." Jinnora hushes her sister

"We don't know. It might be. Maybe afterward I can tell you. And I'm sure she does as a friend." Asami steps forward.

"Okay!" Ikki grins. "Are you mad at Korra for stealing your boyfriend? Do you hate her? Do you hate him? Is cousin Sanya your girlfriend? Have you two kissed?"

"Ikki!" Lin and Jinnora shout simultaneously.

Asami giggles. "No. No. No. I don't know. Yes." She indulges the child. "Now if there aren't anymore questions, we should get to the dining room."

The girls create balls of spinning air and zip past them.

"Thanks for getting me out of that."

"Not so good with kids?"

Lin throws up her hands and shrugs.

A tug at Asami's pant leg causes her to look down. A gap toothed smile greets her.

"I got your thing." Meelo holds up her top.

"Thank you." She rewards him with a smile.

"And I have to get my own?" Lin huffs toward her coat.

"What was Sanya like as child? When she was his age?" She pulls on her top and pats Meelo's head.

The boy blushes, his grin widens.

"Quiet, like her mother. Loved listening to her grandfather's stories. Always wanted to help. No matter what her grandparents were doing, she wanted to help. Got her into trouble sometimes."

"That sounds like her." She buttons up her top and walks toward Lin.

"You know sometimes it feels like she hasn't grown up at all. But, then I see her fight. I see her by herself, when she thinks no one is around. I see her look at you and I know she's growing up just fine."

Asami hides her burning red face. She feels another tug at her pant leg.

"Can I hold your hand?" The child tinkers with a pin on his robe and draws lines in the sand with his foot.

The grin on the girl's face widens as she is reminded of a certain water bender. She holds out her hand. His hand is too small to wrap around hers. He grasps three of her fingers instead. His chest puffs out as he walks.

"Thank you for being there for her." Lin says.

"You don't have to thank me for that."

"I do. I haven't been there enough for her. Especially after my mother…" Her words tail off. She looks down. Her jaw tightens and she takes a deep breath. "She needed someone and I wasn't there. But you were. And having you worry about her takes a giant load off my shoulders."

The girl can only muster a smile. Her mind cannot find the right words to express her gratitude. She punches the woman's arm. A grin appears on the woman's face.

"Is he okay? Hasn't said anything in a while." Lin points to Meelo.

The boy flaunts his signature gap toothed grin. He stands a little straighter takes wider steps.

"I think he's fine." Asami laughs.

As they reach the front of the house, Asami's eyes finally find the sight they have craved all morning. Sanya walks up the dirt path holding her dark blue shirt in a bundle. Jet gallops by her side, a wet tongue flops out of his mouth. The water bender looks up and meets her gaze. Her eyes brighten. A smile creeps across her face. She tries to bite it back, but the feeling is too powerful. She drops her gaze and pets Jet.

"Morning auntie. I didn't do anything and nothing is broken."

"Good." Lin sighs. "Have you had your second breakfast yet?"

She shakes her head no.

"You should take a nap today all right? You need to rest."

Sanya salutes and nods. She takes a step back and does her best to fake a scowl. "Are you trying to steal my girl?" She says to Meelo.

The boy sticks out his tongue at her. "Excuse me, but I was here first!"

"Oh, so I'm your girl now?" Asami teases. "Don't I get a say in all this?"

The water bender freezes. Her lips mouth silent letters. Her face burns red as her eyes dart from a grinning Asami to Lin.

"My sister said she's your girlfriend. Is that true!"

"No! She's my friend… Girl. My friend-girl." Sanya's face burns with embarrassment. "No, that's not right. I'm sorry." She covers her face with her hand. "Auntie."

"Nope." Lin puts a hand up.

The mischievous smirk on Asami's face stretches from ear to ear.

The water bender's eyes widen. Meelo begins to giggle.

"Hey, Tenzin's waiting in the dining room." Korra interrupts from the doorway.

Sanya exhales and drops her shoulders. Lin walks between the girls and into the house. She pauses at the doorway and waits for Asami.

"Come on Meelo, we can have a duel after we have a snack. Then she can decide which one of us she likes more." Sanya motions for him to follow.

The boy obeys and whips himself into the air. He lands on Jet's back. The wolf does not seem to mind.

Asami takes a step forward and pats Sanya's face, forcing the girl to look at her. "You got away this time." She feigns anger.

The girl shrugs as she tries to hide her smile.

Meelo tugs on Asami's pant leg. He points at his pursed lips.

The girls laugh. She bends down and kisses his forehead. He squeals as she walks away.

She follows Lin and Korra into Tenzin's dining room. He sits at the table stroking his beard. The files Asami took from the police station are sprawled out on the table. A lone leather journal sits to his right.

Lin takes her seat at the head of the table. Asami and Korra sit side by side opposite of Tenzin, to Lin's right.

"Well?" Lin asks the air bender.

He strokes his beard. "Isn't it a bit odd that the police didn't find this during their search?" He points to the journal.

"Well, I'm not chief anymore. They aren't as good as they used to be. If I had a yuan for every time I've had to say that."

The two lock eyes. The metal bender challenges Tenzin with a raised brow. The man squints.

"Maybe they wanted us to find it?" Korra breaks the silence.

"How could they have possibly known Sanya and I would go back there?"

"Do you think you could have mentioned to that man the police caught, the one working inside the station?" Tenzin asks.

Asami shakes her head no. "It didn't cross my mind until that night. In fact it was Sanya's idea to go back."

"Of course it was." Lin exhales and rubs her forehead. "Maybe they wanted the police to find it?"

"Maybe. But either way they know we have it now. Whether they meant for it or not." Asami chews on her lip. "May I see the journal please?"

Tenzin hands her the journal.

"We're not getting reports on any equalist activity after yesterday's incident. All recent reports are related to the factory, the man working undercover, things like that. We haven't been able to find their base of operations." Lin says. "And we all know they're good at hiding."

Asami flips through the journal. Detailed plans of both attacks in Ba Sing Se are scribbled across white pages.

_He was a water bender. He strung as along. Like the rest of those spirit forsaken benders. I believed him. I trusted him. You can't trust benders. None of them. I know better now…_

"Should we cancel avatar day?" Tenzin asks.

"No!" Korra jumps out of her seat. "I mean, umm, no. I think that would be a bad idea." She sits.

_I didn't think I'd see my daughter in this city. With the benders no less. They took her from me. Just like the took my wife. We will not stay quiet. We will proceed with the plans…_

She remembers her father's face the the night she last saw him. She saw nothing but hatred in his eyes. Asami blocks out the sound of her companions' voices. She focuses on the journal.

_Back to this horrid city. Base is up now. Been years since I've been to the old factory. Going ahead as planned. Can't wait to see the avatar's face when we ruin her day. Maybe then I'll get my daughter to join us. She's smart enough, we can use her. She knows the avatar's secrets. _

A yellow stain wrinkles the bottom corner of the page. The ink has run, making the words within this small sun difficult to read.

"Old factory." Asami whispers. The gears in her mind churn.

"What?" Lin turns to the girl.

All are quiet as they wait for her response.

"They've set up a base of some sort in an old factory." Asami says mostly to herself. "Old factory? I know there was one before the current one. I don't know where it is." Her voice is soft.

"Can I see that?" Lin points to the journal.

The girl hands it over. "It must be well hidden if they can go this whole time without being caught. He seemed so relaxed. Like whatever they're planning to do is all written out."

Lin flips through the pages. "But of course it isn't written out here." She turns back to the stained page and examines the stain.

"Well, what about all these files? Don't they tell us something?" Korra waves a hand over the papers on the table.

"Other than the rise of equalist activity. It seems there are more of them than we thought." Tenzin exhales and continues to stroke his beard.

"The group that attacked the factory, most of them weren't well trained. They probably have a lot of new recruits, desperate people I'm assuming." Asami adds.

"Korra, go get Sanya." Lin says as she stares at the page.

The avatar opens her mouth to speak. No words come out as she obeys.

"We've seen equalists near some abandoned buildings. The police found nothing after checking them out. I'd have to get a blueprint of the city if we're gong to find this base." Lin rubs her chin.

"What exactly do you plan on doing if you find this base?" The air bender leans into the table.

"Would you rather I sit back and send them a basket of Avatar day cookies?"

"We don't have to plan anything out right now. We don't know enough." Asami's words cut through the string tying their eyes together. "And they know too much."

"Auntie?" Sanya follows Korra into the dining room.

Lin waves her over. "I need you to take a look at something."

Korra takes her seat beside Asami while the water bender crouches beside her aunt.

"What happened to your shirt?" The woman sticks a finger into one of many lashes across the front of Sanya's top.

"I fell." She answers without hesitation. "What did you need me to take a look at?"

Lin hands her the journal and points to the stain. Sanya stares at it.

"I can take some people and raid that base." Lin's eyes shoot daggers at the man sitting before her.

"What base?" Korra asks.

Sanya brings the journal up to her nose and inhales.

Asami tilts her head in confusion. "We think the equalists are hiding out in some abandoned building. We don't know which one."

"So try them all!"

"We don't have the time or resources for that. Maybe if I were still chief, but time is not on our side."

"Okay then, shake down some non-benders. They might know something."

"Korra, you can't assume every non-bender is an equalist. What if I assumed every bender I met wanted to hurt me like they hurt my mother? I know you still have some suspicions about me, but you can please not put those suspicions on innocent people." Asami's voice nearly cracks. Rage fills her chest and makes her shake.

"She's right. Listen to her sometime." Lin squeezes Asami's knee.

Korra sinks into her seat. "Sorry."

The rage in Asami's chest melts. She turns her attention to Sanya. The water bender sticks out her tongue and presses it against the paper. Asami's face contorts in confusion as she watches.

"In any case, it's not safe for anyone. We have to cancel Avatar day. Or maybe have Korra do something over the radio where she and my family are safe."

"Southern water tribe noodle broth with sea prunes." Sanya hands the journal back to her aunt. "The only place you can get that here is Narook's Noodlery."

Everyone at the table gawks at the girl.

"Well, I have to know where I get some good food wherever I go. I just happened to stop by there on the night that we," She looks to Asami. "I needed to eat my feelings so I went there." She looks to her aunt. "I must've had eight bowls of that stuff. Believe me, I know where that stain came from."

"Only eight bowls?" The metal bender teases her niece.

"That's right on the edge of the city." Korra adds. "There are some old buildings, warehouses, and even factories out there. We have to go check it out now!"

Sanya clears her throat. "May I add my suggestion?" She looks to her aunt then to Asami. "I know this will sound weird coming from me, but it wouldn't be wise to just storm in there right now. You would be heavily out numbered. Even if you are the avatar. They might even be expecting you. You shouldn't cancel Avatar Day. But it's not safe to keep it going right? If Mr. Sato is half as smart as his daughter, he would have planned for both. So, why not use that to our advantage? Move the festivities to the front of the police station. They won't expect that. It'll throw them off a bit. Enough for us to make a move."

"If we go along with what I think he's planning, he'll think he's winning. He'll relax. Put his guard down, just a bit. That might be enough for us. We strike when he's at his weakest and that's when he thinks he's winning." Asami adds.

"Exactly." Sanya adds.

"What have you been feeding her? Coming up with all these smart things to say all of a sudden." Lin pokes fun at her neice.

"Don't sound too surprised." The water bender blushes.

"We won't be able to avoid some kind of fight though." Korra says.

"Iroh is too far out, he's near the north pole. He wouldn't make it back here in time. Bumi is close by. He should be able to provide extra security."

Tenzin groans. "Is it really a good idea to have Bumi and Sanya together under one roof?"

"Hey now, uncle that hurts." The water bender puts a hand to her chest.

"Bumi wouldn't be staying here, don't worry. Chances are he won't show up until the day of the event. You know how he is." Lin adds.

"In any case, that was a good idea you put out Sanya." Asami gives the girl a kiss on the cheek.

The water bender's face turns bright red, her mouth struggles to fight back a grin.

"I'll have to look over these some more. It's probably best that we all do." She takes the journal. "Lin, is there any way you could get me the blueprints of the city?"

"That's no problem."

"Great."

"Tenzin, if you wouldn't mind asking your brother for assistance."

"I'll call him now." He sighs and drops his head as he gets up to leave.

"Korra, go out and have fun."

"What?" The avatar's smirk hides her confusion.

"I need you out there having fun, acting like nothing is wrong, like everything is okay. More importantly, I need you to see non-benders who aren't equalists, just see how they live. On top of that, I need you to keep an ear to the ground."

"I can do that." The avatar nods. "In fact I'll go do that now." She storms out the room with a spring in her step.

"What do I do?" Sanya drops her crouch and sits on her bottom.

"You wash up and change your clothes. You're taking me on a lunch date."

"I am?" Her face burns a deeper shade of red and her eyes light up.

"We're going for some noodles."

"Oh." Her shoulders drop. "And here I thought it was a real date."

Asami's heart drops. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I'll make it up to you."

Sanya nods.

Asami watches the girl fiddle with the tears in her shirt. She wants to reach out and hug her, kiss her. She can only stare.

Lin clears her throat. "Seeing as how I'm the closest thing this one's got to a mother," She throws a thumb toward her niece. "I think I'll drop you off at the location of your play date."

The girls shoot a look at each other before glaring at the metal bender. "What are you up to?" They say simultaneously.

"I think I'll persuade the owner to give us a bit of information."

"That sounds illegal." Asami mimics Lin's crooked smirk.

"I've found that I like doing some things outside the law."

"Auntie 'Zula would be proud to hear you say that."

"She'll be here in a few days." Lin points to Sanya. "You can tell her about it yourself."

She stands on the sandy shore watching a ferry come to dock. It was not too long ago that she anxiously awaited this very same welcome she is about to give. Asami checks the buttons on her top. She fidgets with her hair clip and smoothes out her skirt.

"You're not nervous at all." Sanya walks up behind her with Jet in tow.

She pats Jet's head. "I'm meeting living legends today, can you blame me?" She looks up to find Sanya wearing a dark red sweater instead of her usual sleeveless navy blue shirt. The white of her hair is pulled back into a tight bun sitting at the crown of her head.

"Aunt Ty made this sweater for me and Auntie 'Zula likes my hair this way." She stares at her feet as her fingers comb through the hair falling over her shoulders.

"You look good."

The water bender's eyes light up. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Asami slings her arm around Sanya's. The wolf bounces ahead of them and toward the children. They greet him with gleeful shrieking. They walk toward the group by the dock. Korra, Mako, and Bolin laugh together. She smiles at the sight of the Fire Ferrets enjoying themselves again. Lin stands with her arms crossed like an ever watchful statue. The chill evening breeze runs through her hair, the only aspect of her that moves. Pebble stands beside her. His shirt strains against the muscles on his back. He holds a silver platter in his hands, delicate flowers are painted on the porcelain tea pot and cups that it carries. Pema struggles to gain control of her children as she holds an infant in her arms. Katara looks on with a smile. But Asami can see tears forming in the old woman's eyes. She looks back to the statue of Avatar Aang. Her smile drops into a frown. She can only imagine the pain the woman must endure having to see the love of her life everyday, yet never being able to touch him. Her grip on Sanya's arm tightens.

"Something wrong?" The water bender asks.

Asami shakes her head no and smiles.

The boat docks. Tenzin steps onto the dock followed by two older women. They walk arm in arm toward the group waiting by on shore.

"Welcome back Azula." Katara walks forward with open arms.

A woman in deep crimson robes adorned with gold thread bows before accepting Katara's embrace. Her golden eyes are fierce, but soften once the master water bender's arms wrap around her neck.

"Katara!" A high pitched voice exclaims.

A woman in rose colored robes flings herself at the two women still locked in a hug. Asami is taken aback by the way the woman moves, as though her old age does not bother her. Her large brown eyes light up with child-like excitement.

They release their embrace and begin to walk toward the rest of the group standing ashore. Lin finally moves from her post. She leans over and greets her aunts with kisses on the cheek and quick hugs. Pebble offers the women tea, but they decline.

"Lin, where's the girl?" Azula's voice is warm, like the golden flame sitting atop the bun in her hair.

The metal bender points to Korra.

The avatar smiles and waves.

"No, no not the avatar. The other one."

Korra drops her hand and huffs in disappointment. The boys beside her begin to giggle.

Lin points to Asami and bends over her aunt. She whispers something into Azula's ear. The former fire princess smiles at her. She freezes. A woman she has only read about in books walks toward her. Her heart begins to pound against her chest. Is she smiling? Is her hair okay? How should she address her?

Sanya rubs her shoulders. "You'll be fine. Relax. She won't banish you." She whispers in her ear.

Asami fakes a laugh.

"Auntie." Sanya bows, a mischievous smirk on her face.

She laughs as she wraps her arms around the girl's waist. "You're so tall now, what have you been eating?"

"My enemies."

Asami's eyes widen at the girls' response.

"That's a good girl." She pats her niece's stomach as she laughs.

"Auntie!" Sanya screams as she takes Ty Lee in her arms and lifts her off the ground. The woman is gleeful as she returns the embrace.

"So, you're the one I've heard so much about?" Azula stops before Asami. "Why are children these days so tall." Golden eyes look up at her.

"It's an honor to meet you ma'am." She bows.

"Speaking of honor, Where's Uncle ZuZu? Why couldn't he make it?"

"He's in the north pole with Kya and Iroh, playing peacemaker and such." Ty Lee answers as Sanya sets her back on the ground.

"Come, walk with me." She takes the Asami's arm. "Sanya, our bags."

The water bender groans. "Why do I always have to get the bags. Korra and her crew never have to get the bags." She whines as she walks back toward the boat.

"I'll help you this time." Lin punches the girl's arm.

"I hear you've had some troubles with your father?"

"Still having them ma'am."

"I understand. My father was… A bit unstable to say the least."

She nods as memories of things she has read about Fire Lord Ozai flood into her mind.

"I'm sure everyone's been giving you advice on how to handle this. I'm sure us old folk have lectured your ear off. Just know, you don't have to listen to us."

"Ma'am?" She looks down at the woman.

"I learned the hard way. Always listening to what my father wanted, always trying to be that. No, didn't work out so well. You don't have to listen to us if you don't want to. Do what you want, what you feel is best for you. We can guess, but we can't ever really know."

Asami watches her feet as they continue to walk to Tenzin's home. Her mouth curls into a grin. "But ma'am, aren't you giving me advice right now?"

The older woman grins. Her golden eyes light up with mischief. "Even if you choose to ignore what I've said, you would have followed my advice." She winks.

Asami laughs. She had always heard about the fire princess' wit, but never thought she would experience it herself.

"You own a company don't you?"

"I do."

"More adults telling you what you should and shouldn't do. And you haven't banished anyone or burnt them to a crisp yet? You really are a tough girl. You'll be all right." She pats the girl's arm.

"Thank you ma'am."A weight vanishes from Asami's shoulders. She exhales.

"So, what's this I hear about you and my Sanya?"

Her cheeks burn bright red. "That depends, what did you hear?"

"I think I'll be hearing you call out her name later tonight."

Asami stumbles. Her face burns, hot with embarrassment. Her train of thought derails. A speechless mouth hangs open as she shakes her head.

"Or will it be the other way around?"

The girl still hangs in a state of bewilderment.

"If you break her heart I will be forced to banish you." The old woman's words are like daggers.

Asami swallows her fear.

"Azula! Don't tease her so much. That's not nice." Ty Lee tugs the woman off the girl's arm.

"Oh, I was just having a bit of fun." She laughs. "Don't worry dear, she's tough. She can handle it." She kisses her wife's hand.

"You've made her all red. Look!" She points to the fidgety girl.

"I'm sorry, Asami. That is your name right?"

"You couldn't even remember her name!"

"I can't be bothered with new names at this age." She waves away Ty Lee's concerns. "Just be happy I can still remember our anniversary." She looks behind her then turns to look at Tenzin's home. "Where's that boy with the tea? Are we having dinner now?" She walks ahead of them.

TyLee pats Asami's arm. "Don't mind her. She's really nice now. She just likes to play with people. Always has."

"It's all right, ma'am. Really." Her voice shakes. "Is she like that with everyone? If I may ask."

"Oh no, just the children really. Especially someone like you. We've heard a lot about you from Toph."

"Oh?" Her heart is weight down by the memory of the fallen earth bender.

"You know, she really loved you."

"I really loved her." She chews on her lip. Toph's laugh echoes in her head. "I still do."

"I'm sure she still loves you too. Even more so now. We hear you earth bended." The woman stops and looks up, as though her the clouds carry her thoughts. She taps her nose. "Bended? That doesn't sound right. What's the word?" She mutters to herself.

"Bent?"

"Bent! Yes!" She throws her arms around the girl's waist, pinning her arms at her side. A mighty squeeze takes the breath from her lungs.

"Ty Lee, let go of her. She might be suffocating."

"Sorry." She giggles.

"It's all right."

"What are you guys talking about over there?" Sanya calls out.

Asami turns around to see the girl with a large bag over her shoulder and another small bag in her hand. The girl's chest rises and falls much more heavily than usual. Her eyes drift down to hips. The left half of her sweater rides up. Dark ink hugs her hip bones and dips below the waistband of her pants.

"I wonder what you're thinking about." A sing song voice causes her muscles to tense as she snaps her head forward.

Her face burns red again. "Nothing." She says to Ty Lee walking beside her.

"We were discussing the date of your wedding!" Azula calls out.

The girl's eyes widen. Sanya drops the bag in her hand and stumbles forward. She slips on the bag's handle and falls backward. The larger bag on her shoulder hits the ground before she does.

Asami runs to her aid. She exhales in relief. She has an excuse to be away from the teasing.

Azula cackles in the distance. Her wife scolds her.

"You should know not to believe auntie." Lin says as she comes up behind the girls.

Asami helps Sanya to her feet and dusts off her clothes.

The metal bender takes the larger bag and slings it over her shoulder. She carries three smaller bags in one hand. She has no trouble walking the rest of the way with extra cargo. "All that teasing means she likes you."

"If you haven't already noticed, this family has some interesting ways of showing affection."

"Right, like punching, getting arrested, hurling rocks at me, stopping the ocean currents. Things like that." Asami laughs. She picks up the bags and brushes away the dirt clinging to the fabric.

Sanya nods. "Yeah, things like that."

She takes the water bender's wrist and drapes her arm around her shoulders. Sanya does not protest. The girl's faces flushes into a deeper shade of red.

"Well Sanya, this certainly is an interesting family, but I wouldn't mind some regular ways of showing affection every now and then."

Pema herds her children out of the dining room with her one free hand. She carries a crying infant in the other. Her steps are slow and heavy. Strands of her hair have come undone and the dark circles under her eyes seem to grow each day. Asami desperately wants to help the woman, but she must stay. She takes comfort in knowing the air acolytes are there to assist her. It is silent now that the children are gone. The occasional clinking of plates and the chirping of a fire ferret fill the room. Tenzin and Sanya clear the table while Pebble serves tea and miniature rice cakes. She pets the wolf lying beside her as he keeps his human's seat warm. Lin sits at one end of the table. Eyes of jade are steady and unmoving, locked onto the steam rising from her tea. Pebble sets a small plate carrying a lavender rice cake before her. She mouths a thank you and pushes the plate over to Sanya's side of the table.

Korra sits between Katara and Mako on the opposite side of the table. Her eyes dart from one person to another. "So, about tomorrow?" She draws out her words.

Lin looks to Asami. The girl nods.

"We've got a plan." Lin assures all the curious eyes that have landed on her.

Sanya returns to her seat with sheets of thick paper rolled up under her arm. Jet whines as he scurries off the seat. The girl grins at the sight of two cakes before her.

"We've more or less confirmed that the equalists are operating out of factory located on the outskirts of the city." Lin says.

"And how exactly did you confirm this?" Tenzin strokes his beard.

"Thanks to my niece's odd ability to detect food," She waves a hand to her right."

All eyes fall on Sanya just as she is about to take a bite out of a rice cake. She sets the cake down and slouches.

"I managed to convince the owner to give me a few details about the factory." She turns to Katara. "I didn't hurt him, auntie. I promise."

"Lin, if I may?" Asami taps Sanya's arm just as the girl attempts to eat her dessert again. "Sanya, please?"

The metal bender nods.

Asami takes a deep breath and expels her nerves. "Lin showed me a blueprint of the city and I drew this mostly from memory, so I apologize if some things are missing."

Sanya gets wipes her hands on a napkin and gets to her feet with a mouth full of cake. She unrolls the large sheet of white paper and holds it out. Perfect portraits of Republic City's landmarks stand out amongst a labyrinth of thick and thin black lines representing the streets. All eyes are glued to the mock blueprint of Republic City. No one can believe it was done by hand.

"You drew that?" Bolin asks.

"Yeah. It's not my best." She stares at every uneven line, every erased mistake, everything that could have been better. "I've made certain areas larger, so it's easier for you to see." She gets to her feet. "This area here behind Narook's Noodlery," She points to a section of enlarged buildings. "Houses a bunch of abandoned factories and warehouses. I knew Future Industries had a smaller factory before we built the one we have now, and I have very good reason to believe it's here somewhere."

"You guys didn't go and check?" Mako asks.

"Well we would have, but if one of those guys happens to see Asami's beautiful face or my ridiculous hair they'd run, or worse." Sanya answers. "So instead of risking it, Wang and Sapphire Fire made another appearance."

Katara giggles to herself.

"Anyway, we have enough to go on from the journal and files we have." She plants one finger behind the noodlery. "It's a bit far from the police station. "She drags her finger to a statue of Toph. "It would take them some time to get there, as it is a bit further along than city hall. The initial plan depends on us assuming they already have some of their people close by. It wouldn't be a hassle for them to move. But, it shouldn't be anything we can't handle. We have police on site. We have Lin and the avatar, they wouldn't dare make a move. If the equalists can at least be delayed in making their trek to the Avatar Day festivities, it will give the military time to move in."

"Auntie," Lin leans onto the table, facing Azula. "We usually have a few Fire Nation supremacists being idiots on this day. And I'm sure you've heard that the equalists have tried to frame you once already by trying to replicate your fire."

She scoffs. "Peasants."

"We want to get you out of there as soon as possible if anything big breaks out." Lin adds.

Bolin raises his hand. "I have a question. How exactly we are going to delay them?"

"I'll go into the factory and mess things up a bit." Asami answers.

"I?" Sanya raises an eyebrow.

"It's dangerous."

"All the more reason I should go with you." Sanya speaks as though Asami is the only person in the room.

"You've gotten hurt already because of me. I can't have you following me into-"

"I wouldn't be following. I'd be walking by your side."

"She's right you shouldn't go alone. There'll be tons of'em." Korra adds.

The girls snap their attention back into the room.

"They have a point. I know you can handle yourself, but it's a suicide mission to go alone. And we need you. Take Sanya with you. She's an expert at messing things up."

A smirk begins to grow on her face. "Thank you." It quickly vanishes. "Hey, wait. That's not nice auntie."

Everyone allows a small laugh to escape in their sighs.

Asami stares at Sanya with a clenched jaw. She wants to argue with her. She wants to tell her to stay with the group. She wants to beg the girl to stay away.

"Asami?"

She fidgets and stares at her hands. "I'm sorry." She takes a deep breath. "We have to assume they'll do something before then. In that case, we need to get everyone to safety." She looks toward Tenzin. "Sir, I know I can count on you and Oogi to get your family to safety."

The air bender nods.

"Korra, Mako, Bolin would you mind staying behind and helping us with whatever they've got planned?"

"Of course not! Team Avatar is back in action!" Bolin cannot contain his enthusiasm.

Asami chews on her lip. "Actually Bo, I think I'll be on team flying boar this time."

"You're switching teams on me Asami?"

She replies with a nod and an apologetic smile.

"Lin, Sanya, Pebble, and I will deal with any fights. Team Avatar, you work on getting people somewhere safe."

"We can do that." The avatar gives her a thumbs up. "Then we can smash some heads. Shouldn't too hard right?"

"Learn to respect your enemies girl." Azula says lightly as she takes a sip of tea. Her eyes drift to a smiling water bender sitting across from her.

Ty Lee elbows her. "Be nice."

Azula scowls and takes another sip of her tea. "I was being nice."

"What about the factory?" Tenzin asks.

Sanya rolls up the mock blueprint of the city and picks up another roll of paper. "I've never actually seen the factory, but I can assume it looks similar to the one we have now except smaller."

"We can expect an entire army of them and those giant suckers they have with them." Lin adds

"Oh, I do love a good fight." Azula grins. She turns to her scowling wife. "Not that I will be fighting."

"We're hoping you won't even have to see them ma'am." Asami turns her attentions to her sketch of the factory. She drew the building from four different angles, two interior views and two exterior views. "From the size of the ground floor, they might be able to house at least ten of those machines comfortably. But, I don't think they've got that many. At least I hope they don't. We also have to assume there is some sort of secret basement. I know my way around factories so I think we can mess things up pretty well." She takes her seat. "After we've done that, it wouldn't be any trouble for us to steal a car and make our way to the station before anything big breaks out."

Sanya rolls up the large sheet of paper in her hands and takes her seat. Jet scrambles to his human's lap.

"Pebble, would you mind watching Jet tomorrow?"

"It would be my pleasure. We're due for some bonding time." The man smiles as he pours Katara another cup of tea.

"So, we're just supposed to hold them off until the military shows up?" Mako asks.

Asami nods.

"Why can't we just take them on tonight? All of us can take them." Korra pounds her fists together.

"I cannot begin to even explain to you why that would not be a good idea." Lin sighs.

"I just have to ask one thing of you, of all of you." Asami fidgets. "Leave my fath-" She takes a deep breath. "Leave Mr. Sato to me."

"What? No!" Korra protests.

"That's insane!' Mako adds.

"Are you sure?" Bolin's eyes dart from one face to another.

Lin holds up a hand to silence the protesting Fire Ferrets. "Okay."

"But Lin you can't possibly," Tenzin begins to speak.

The metal bender glares.

"I don't like this Lin, we can't leave her to him."

Unrelenting emerald eyes do not flatter.

"This is not a good-"

Katara puts a hand up to silence her son. "Tenzin, no matter how loud the wind howls, the mountain will not move."

Asami hears Sanya gasp.

Tenzin is silent. A blush creeps into his face and covers his forehead.

Lin's iron gaze now lies heavy on Asami. The girl does not speak. She does not look away. From the corner of her eye she sees Sanya staring at her cup. Her hand runs up and down the sleeve of her sweater.

Lin nods. "Okay."

"I'm on your side dear, no worries. I think it should be that way." Azula reassures her.

"I agree with Azula." Katara adds.

The rooms settles down. She still watches Sanya fiddle with her sleeves. She wants to reach out and touch her, but instead clenches her fists at her lap. Her eyes drift toward the rolls of paper beside the wolf.

"I'm sorry if my plan seems a little scatterbrained. Everything is so uncertain. There so many unknown variables." Asami slouches in her seat and stares at her hands.

The sound of ceramic scraping against wood causes her to look up. A red rice cake sits on a small plate. She turns to see a weak smile on Sanya's face.

"You did your best with what you had. That's all we can ask for." Lin pats her shoulder.

The girl can't help but smile. "Lin, what do we do now?"

"Get some rest." She replies. "There isn't much else we can do"

No one questions her. Asami lets out a long sigh before she takes a sip of lukewarm tea. She watches as people slowly get to their feet and walk out of the room. Half-hearted goodnights are said. Her mind plays a recording of replies to these greetings. Asami stands and offers a hand to Azula. Sanya helps Ty Lee to her feet while Pebble does the same for Katara.

Lin coughs. "Umm. Team flying boar. Could you stay behind?"

"Are we really using that name now? I have no objections." Sanya grins.

Lin waves away her words. Asami can tell the woman is embarrassed.

"We'll be fine. We're not that old." Azula pats Asami's hand.

The old women walk out of the room together. Pebble, Asami, and Sanya take their seats around Lin. Even Jet is on stand by.

"Li, I'm going to need to you to come with me tonight. We've got some things to take care of."

"May I ask what sort things?" He asks.

"I'll fill you in on the ferry."

He nods without question.

"Asami, I think you should go back to the mansion. Maybe you can dig up something there that might help you."

She thinks it over. The woman has a point. She nods.

"Sanya, go with her."

Her niece nods.

The wolf whines and puts his paw on Lin's back.

"I didn't forget about you." She scratches his head. "Mind if I borrow him tonight?" She asks Sanya.

"Go ahead. Jet, you take care of these two okay?"

He skips to his human's side and gives her a head butt before hoping over the table to sit beside Pebble.

"I'll see you two tomorrow." Lin gets to her feet and motions for Pebble and Jet to follow.

The girls watch them walk out of the room. They sit in silence mulling over the things they want to say.

"Did you really think I'd let you go alone?" Sanya fiddles with the cups and plates left on the table.

"I didn't want to drag you into anything dangerous."

"You're not dragging me. I'm walking in willingly. I'm skipping in for spirits' sake." She buries her head in her hands. A laugh escapes with her breath. "You're almost as stubborn as aunt Toph."

"How many more times are you going to get hurt because of me?"

"And you didn't think it would hurt me to see you go alone?"

Asami opens her mouth to speak. Her words will not come. She stares at her hands and picks at her skin around her nails. "I'm scared." Her words float under her breath.

"What?"

"I've lost everyone I've ever cared about. And sometimes I can't get over the idea that maybe it's my fault. I'm scared I'll lose you too. You and Lin and Pebble. Even Jet. Maybe if I went in by myself that fear will go away. Because there's no way you or they could get hurt."

Sanya sighs. "I don't have any wise words for you about that. I think auntie would." She chews on her lip. "I understand though." Large sapphire pools look into Asami's eyes. "But, don't you think I'm afraid of the same thing?" She does her best to smile, but her eyes deceive her lips. "You act like you have to do everything by yourself. It makes me think you forget we're here, "She drops her gaze. "That I'm here too." She gets to her feet. "I should clean this up before we go." She stacks plates and cups.

A memory flashes in her head. The night she spent with Sanya by the lake back in Ba Sing Se. The night she told her about her mother. The day she found out about her grandparents. She puts her hand on her wrist expecting to feel her bracelet, but she greeted only by bare skin. She has forgotten so much in her attempt to remember everything. She reaches out for Sanya's arn as the girl begins to rise to her feet. She pulls her down and wraps her arms around her body. Ceramic dishes crash onto the wooden floor and table. With a mighty squeeze, she buries her face in the girl's back. "I'm sorry."

Hands run over her arms before resting on her hands. "Don't be."

They sit in silence. Bumps and creaks of the house mingle with their soft breathing. With a deep breath, Asami lets go and pulls her hands back onto her lap.

Sanya turns around to face her, she places her hand atop Asami's. "Are we okay?"

"Yes."

"I can go with you?"

"Yes."

"We should probably clean this up before we go."

She smiles. "Yes."

"Can you say anything other than yes?"

"Yeah." She giggles.

Sanya looks up with realization in her eyes. "When I worry about you so much, when I get upset at the thought of you doing things like taking on those guys by yourself… This must be how auntie feels when I go out and do stupid things or get into fights." She looks to Asami. Feigned distress in her eyes makes the girl snicker. "Oh my spirits you've turned me into auntie!" She clasps her face with both hands.

The binding around their hearts is lifted, allowing them to laugh freely.

"We should hurry up and clean this so we can leave right away." Asami picks up the plates and cups Sanya dropped.

"We. I like the sound of that."


	10. Chapter 10

The car nears the gate of the place she once called home. Several lights shine through windows on the first floor. She wonders what the housekeepers are doing up at this hour.

Sanya pulls her head back into the car. "You lived here?" Her eyes widen as at the sight of the Sato mansion.

"Yep."

"By yourself? I mean you had your dad of course, sorry. I mean, wait, that's not helping." She exhales. "Do you ever just wonder what's wrong with my brain?"

Asami smiles as the car stops. She hops out and clutches the key to the gate. It has been months since she last opened this gate. Memories of coming home with her father flood her mind. A memory of coming home with Lin calms the storm. She looks back to find curious blue eyes staring back at her.

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah. I just forgot which key." She flashes a smile before opening the gate and scurrying back into the car.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you don't forget things." She taps Asami's head with her finger. "You're too smart for that."

"I'm not that smart." She starts the car and drives past the front foyer.

"And she's modest too." Sanya jokes. She looks back. "Shouldn't we close it?" She points at the gate.

"One of the housekeepers will do it."

"You have housekeepers? We tried to convince aunt Toph to get housekeepers. She never did like them."

"Let me guess, she insisted that she could do everything herself, that Pebble was all she needed?" She looks up at the rows of dark windows lining the wall of the mansion.

"Exactly."

"Well, she had you too."

The girl slouches in her seat. "I think I caused more trouble instead of helping." She turns her head, long black hair covers her face.

"From what I know of her, she seemed to like trouble." She offers a comforting smile.

"I guess she did. And I'm assuming, because I am currently in your car and about to spend the night at your house, you like it too."

"I don't. But, I like your brand of trouble." She winks.

The water bender busies herself by fiddling with her hair. Her arm hides the growing grin on her face.

The car slows to stop beside an extension of the mansion's wall. A bright yellow light illuminates a long steel door. Asami steps out of the car with keys in hand. She wonders if the housekeepers have cleaned in here or if all her projects wait for her under a blanket of dust.

"Garage?" Sanya asks as she pulls a large canvas bag and equally large leather suitcase out of the backseat.

"Yeah, my personal garage." Asami fiddles with the lock on the door.

"Personal? You mean you have another one?"

"Two more. A bigger one out back by the testing tracks and one on the other side of the house for," She looks up from the lock and stares at grimy steel. Her jaw tightens. "For other cars."

"Gotcha. What's a testing track?"

"It's a race track where we test Satomobiles." She busies herself with a second lock. "Well, the employees test the new cars. I sort of just fool around." She makes her way to the center of the door.

"Well, well Miss Sato. It seems you have your own brand of trouble as well." Sanya jests.

She smirks. "I guess I do." She pushes open both doors.

Darkness greets them. The outdoor light reflects off the hood of several cars. She walks into the darkness without hesitation. She exhales and walks a few feet to her left and switches on the light. Five different models of Satomobiles, each a different color, greet their owner. Not one spec of dust tarnishes their shine. A sixth is parked away from the others, it's hood lifted exposing its vital metal organs. The garage is large enough to fit three more cars. White florescent lighting bounces off the grey walls. A once brilliant white floor is now dull and scratched. Asami looks to her metal desk in the corner by a door. A few sheets of oil stained paper lie beside a screwdriver and a pair of tweezers. An equalist glove lies beside pile of various small tools. An open tool box sits on the floor by the stool, different types of pilers, screwdrivers, and wrenches are haphazardly thrown into it. A pair of boots lie on their side beside the box. Their soles have been reinforced with steel plates, rows of small circles line the plates.

"This probably the biggest garage I have ever seen." Sanya walks in carrying their bags.

"You should see the one by the track."

The door on the other side of the garage flings open. "Welcome back!" A woman's booming voice greets the girls.

"Yuna, how are you?" With open arms, Asami walks over to a tall stocky older woman in maid's uniform.

"Oh dear, I've been worried sick about you." She says in Asami's ear as her large, beefy arms squeeze her neck.

The girl steps out of the embrace. She looks into the woman's dark eyes, wet with tears that have yet to fall. Strands of salt and pepper hair fall around her face. The skin around her mouth wrinkles as a smile beings to grow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." She squeezes the woman's burly arms.

"Ma'am, we've all been worried." A younger girl in the same uniform wrings her apron. Small green eyes stare at Asami before dropping their gaze. "Shan hasn't stopped crying since you left." Her mousy voice informs.

"Oh, that old cry baby. He'll be fine."

"How are you Win?"

"Fine ma'am. Thank you for asking." Her body snaps down and back up as she bows.

"Where is Shan?" Yuna asks.

"I'm here." A tall thin man with slick black hair appears beside the girl. She wipes wetness from his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Asami asks.

"Yes, ma'am." He straightens out his bow tie and smoothes out this blazer.

Asami cranes her neck to get a better look at the corridor. "Where's Hiro?"

Win's grip on her apron tightens. The skin on her knuckles turns white. Shan's lower lip begins to shake. His face contorts as he tries to hold back sobs.

"We threw him out!" Yuna crosses her arms and puffs out her chest. "He was one of them you see, tried to follow in you father's footsteps but I wouldn't let him harm my little 'Sami. No ma'am! I tossed him out!"

"Spirits, why didn't you call me!"

"I told you we should have called!" Win squeaks.

"Oh hush! It's taken care of." Yuna hisses. "We knew you had enough to worry about. Plus, your friends who stayed here told us you were quite busy." Playful eyes look past the girl.

Asami turns around to find a beaming Sanya standing with her hands behind her back. She waves at the group.

"I'm sorry Sanya." She waves the girl over.

"This is Yuna, she was my nanny when I was growing up. She took care of me when my mom passed away."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am." Sanya bows as she shakes the older woman's hand.

"I know a water tribe girl when I see one. Up top or down low?"

"Down low, I guess." Sanya responds.

"Me too!" Yuna tackles the girl with a hug. "Water bender?" She releases the girl.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good." She slams a heavy hand onto Sanya's back. "That's a fine warrior's wolf tail you got there, girl."

The girl puts a foot forward to steady herself from the unexpected blow.

"I wasn't too fond of that fire bender boy. Burnt my baby, you see. Hope you're good at healing." Yuna pretends to whisper.

Asami rolls her eyes with a smirk on her face. "He has a name you know."

Yuna winks.

"That's Win and Shan." Asami points to the two standing by the doorway.

Sanya steps forward and offers a hand to each of them.

Asami stands back watches as her new life collides with her old one. "I'm going to give you all the night off." She points to Win. "And don't you worry, we've already eaten."

The girl nods, her grip on her apron loosens.

"Shan, can you take our bags up to my room. And when you're done with that, I want all of you to go out and have a good time. Can you do that for me?"

Three mouths open to protest. A single raised hand from Asami is enough to close them. "Can you grab my purse? I left it in the car."

The water bender jogs back to the car.

"You've all worked hard and deserve a break. I just want you all to know that I appreciate everything you've done for me and for standing by me despite all that's happened."

Sanya hands her the purse.

Asami takes out a handful of pastel colored bills. "This is all the money I have on me right now and I hope it's enough for you all to have a good time." She takes Yuna's hand, places the bills in her palm and closes it. "Please take it."

Form the corner of her eye she sees Sanya digging in her pockets.

"Two thousand yuans? I can't take this much." She looks up from the bills in her hand.

Sanya places a hundred yuan bill and four golden coins in Yuna's hand. "How about that much?" She beams woman and places her hands behind her back. "I know it's not much, but it's all I have." She offers a warm smile in addition to her money.

Yuna pats the girl's cheek. "Okay. Take care of her for me."

"I will."

Shan walks past them and attempts to lift the leather suitcase. The old woman pockets the cash and lifts the canvas bag with ease. Win hurries to the man's side and helps him lift the suitcase. They walk back into the corridor. Shan closes the door behind him.

"I like them." Sanya says as she takes a seat on the stool at Asami's work station.

"I think they like you too." She walks to the car with the open hood. "I wish we could have all gone out, but we've got work to do."

"Okay." Sanya spins around on the stool and looks through the papers on the desk. "What are we looking for exactly?"

"I don't know." Asami gets into the car's front seat and rummages through the glove compartment.

"So, we don't know what we're looking for?"

"We do. Sort of." Asami removes the panel beneath the steering wheel. "Some equalist looking stuff. You know, anything that might look suspicious."

"This looks very equalist-y to me." The clunking of metal mixes with the girl's voice.

Asami's eyes widen. "No, Sanya don't!" She hears the device whirring to life.

A flash of orange flames brightens the room. The water bender grunts as she is knocked out of the stool and into the floor. She skids back and hits her head on the door.

"It's not finished yet." She mutters under her breath. She hops out of the car and rushes to the girl still sitting on the floor.

"What was that all about?" Sanya stares at her gloved hand. "You made this?"

Asami helps her to her feet and smooth out her hair. "I didn't make it. I just tinkered with it. I saw how Iroh used fire bending to propel himself through the air. I thought I'd try to make something that mimicked that." She points to the boots. "It was surprisingly easy to tweak the gloves to go off like that." She chews on her lip.

"That's weird. You'd think they almost wanted them to blow up at some point." Sanya examines her hand. "I probably shouldn't point this thing at my face." She removes the glove and places back on the table."

"You're right, it is weird. The gloves they have now are just used to stun, to paralyze. But it was so simple making them deadly. Almost, too simple." She turns to the water bender. "When we were at the factory, that guy you,"

"That guy I killed?" She drops her head and tugs on the sleeve of her sweater. White arm sleeves peek out from under the dark red fabric.

Asami takes the girl's hand. "You didn't mean to. You saved my life. That glove was brighter than any other one I've ever seen. That man would have killed me. And you too. And maybe a bunch of other people. You saved us. I know that probably doesn't make it any better."

"Do you think they'll try to kill more people tomorrow?"

"I think so. I don't know how to stop all of them at once."

"Well, how to do break just one?"

"Short circuiting it. Overloading it with electricity so it malfunctions." She rubs her forehead as ideas flood her mind. "Crushing it. Submerging it in enough water."

"So you're saying, if you could somehow get a wave of, say, electrically charged water to sweep over them, their gloves would break?" A spark ignites in her eyes.

Asami nods.

"I can do that."

"I'm hoping you won't have to. Let's go look someplace else." Asami makes her way to the door.

The gears in her mind churn. "He obviously likes to hide things right under our noses. Probably in places where I spend a lot of time, the housekeepers are less likely to clean there and snoop around."

"I'm guessing this is one of those places?"

She nods.

"Your room?"

"Maybe. I don't actually spend much time in there unless I'm sleeping or getting dressed."

"The kitchen?"

Asami lets out a small laugh. "I'm not you and I can't cook, so no."

"The other garage?"

She shakes her head no. "The gym probably." She makes her way to the door.

_He wouldn't be stupid enough to hide anything here, would he? _She thinks. The man's office and garage were raided soon after his secret was revealed. The police found nothing. What chance do they have of finding anything now? She turns around to find Sanya by the door removing her shoes.

"Red penguin socks?" She giggles.

"You're just jealous you don't have them. Have you ever been penguin sledding?"

"I have not."

"I'll take you one day." She flashes a grin. "Then you'll be wearing these too."

"Okay, I'll hold you to that." She laughs. "You don't have to take off your shoes."

"No need to bring the mess from outside into your home." She smiles and carries her boots in her hands. "The housekeepers, do they live here too?" She stares at the high ceilings.

"No, they've each got their own house on the property."

"You don't think he would have…"

Every possible place her father could have hidden something enters her mind. It would be impossible to search the entire property in one night. She might as well fight the entire equalist army on her own. She stops and leans on the wall, her eyes glued to the carpet. Flaws in her plan make themselves known. The worst possible outcomes assault her thoughts. Flashbacks turn themselves into future scenes.

A pair of feet covered in red socks adorned with penguins comes into view. She looks up. Curious sapphire marbles plead for answers. "Don't tell me you've given up already?"

Asami sighs and bangs her head against the wall. "We're not going to find anything. Why did Lin even suggest this?"

"I've learned not to question Beifong women. They see things no one else can. And hey you don't know, we might find something." She takes her hand and drags her through the hall.

Asami does not resist. She watches the water bender walk. Her strides are long and confident. She holds her boots with an iron fist. But her grip on Asami's hand is gentle, almost as though she is expecting the girl to let go.

"Stop me anytime. I have no idea where I'm going."

The smirk on Asami's face stretches from ear to ear. She tightens her grip on Sanya's hand and takes the lead. She drags the girl a few doors down form their current position. The door to the gym does not have a lock. A slight push is all it takes to open the door. The girls step into darkness. Asami flips a switch to reveal a large gymnasium. The floor is completely made of yellow mats. Free weights and exercise machines line the left wall, a fine blanket of dust cover them. A wooden practice dummy stands against the wall to their right, while the far wall houses a display of various weapons and human shaped dummies made of hard foam.

Asami kicks off her boots and socks before she steps into the gym. Her eyes examine the room. She feels Sanya let go of her hand. She watches the girl remove her socks and stuff them into her boots before stepping onto the yellow floor.

"You have wooden one?" The water bender examines the practice dummy.

"Must have been rough having to use one made of stone." She takes heavy steps toward the weapons case.

"Or one made of solid ice. May I?"

"Go ahead."

She drowns out the sound of palms hitting wood as she takes slow, heavy steps toward the weapons case. Not one piece of flooring creaks under her foot. She gets on her knees and runs her hands over the yellow mats. The sound of wood splitting makes her snap her neck in Sanya's direction.

The water bender stands with her hand embedded into the center of the wooden dummy. Her free hand is open with her palm facing Asami. Wide eyes plead for forgiveness. "I can pay for that."

"Are you okay?" She gets to her feet and calmly walks over to the wooden dummy.

Sanya's stands up straight as she pulls her hand out of the dummy. Her brow furrows and her eyes drift toward the newly made hole. Asami watches her. She says nothing for fear of interrupting the girl's thoughts. She sends another fist into the dummy. Asami does not flinch. Another fist into a wooden torso. The hole is now large enough to fit both of Pebble's meaty hands.

She is still as Sanya reaches into the hole and pulls out a tube of blue paper. She hands it to her without hesitation.

"You have got to be kidding me." Asami exhales.

The water bender can only shrug.

She takes it and walks away from the pile of wooden shards now decorating the yellow floor. Suspicions fill her mind, did her father intend for her to find this? She unravels the paper to find blueprints. Her eyes scan every line, every note, every measurement. She holds in her hands what might be the blueprint to the first Future Industries factory.

"What was that doing in there?" She mutters to herself. She grits her teeth.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I feel like he's mocking us. Or he just really lost it."

"I think it's both. We had that thing put in," She recedes into a memory. "Just after Korra came to town actually. I didn't complain. I was actually really happy about it." She drops her arms and stares at the ceiling. "I think he'll be expecting us tomorrow."

"Well then, it would be rude of us not to show up." Sanya appears before her.

She diverts her attention back to the blueprint. "Can you hold this?"

Sanya takes it and holds it out at arms length.

"It's bigger than I imagined, but mostly the same as what I drew. I don't know what this is," She traces a square on the paper. "It shouldn't be too much of a problem if it's just a place they keep supplies or more of those mechanical giants they love so much. I'm really hoping it isn't anything new."

"Should we tell auntie?"

She shakes her head no. "She's got enough on her plate." She rolls up the blueprint. "It feels like he's playing with us. Like he knows I'll never be clever enough to outsmart him. It's like some sick game to prove he's better than me, than all of us." She tosses it against the wall. Her chest rises and falls. With each inhalation she takes in grief and with exhalation she releases rage.

"This would be a good time for you to beat up that wooden dummy I just broke, sorry about that by the way. But you have me." Sanya pokes her sides. "Meat dummy." Her mouth smiles but her eyes worry.

Asami cannot help but allow herself to let out a small laugh. "I'm not just going to beat you up."

"Okay then, I'll fight back."

She looks at the girl, standing there with her hands clutching her arms. Asami scoffs and shakes her head.

Sanya takes a step toward her. "I just think there's a lot in here." Her finger hovers over Asami's chest. "You smile and laugh. Make these plans and try to run your company, but it still hurts doesn't it? And it's making things very cloudy up here." Her finger travels to her head. "But, all those clouds… It's bound to rain and the water's gotta so somewhere. So, the storm ends up down here." She points to her chest again. "You know, that's where I wanna be. I'm hoping there will be room for me one day. Maybe I can help make the storms stop every now and then." Her voice drops and her face flushes. "Even if there's no room for me, it can't be fun being in that cycle all the time. So, let it storm some place else. You've got a water bender right here willing to take all that extra rain."

The rage in her chest disappears. She stares at Sanya, but the girl cannot keep her gaze. "Sanya,"

The water bender shakes her head. "Meat dummy." She grins.

Asami cannot hold back her laughter. "Okay, I'll bite. Meat dummy that fights back, right?"

Sanya puts her fist into her palm and bows.

She returns the gesture. She bends her knees. Her left foot slides back while her right one plants itself into the mat. A palm faces Sanya and a fist hovers above her head, waiting for a moment to strike.

The water bender takes a step to the right. Her left foots slides in a small half circle before locking into place. Her knees bend into stance that would have made Toph proud. A mischievous smirk is painted on her face. She brings her hands up, as if parting an invisible curtain. Her movements are fluid, like a tranquil stream flowing around obstacles. Open palms face Asami, as though she wishes to show her unseen gifts.

With her back foot, Asami takes a step forward. A long sweeping leg aims for Sanya's torso, but it is easily blocked. She jabs to distract the water bender from a kick to the knees. Her foot hits only air. Thoughts and memories fade with each kick. With each punch as she becomes more focused on her body's movements. Yet despite all this, a burning pit of sentiment lashes out in her chest.

Sanya counters with open palms aimed at her body and face. Asami evades each attack. She is thankful the girl decided to wear a top with sleeves as she dodges another attack. Quick hands grab onto the sweater's sleeve. She pulls the girl toward her, and in one swift motion she gracefully sidesteps around her body and uses her back leg to kick. The water bender blocks the kick, but slides back from absorbing the shock. Asami does not wait for the girl to get comfortable. Her leg arches up and aims for the shoulder, her skirt fans out as the fabric snaps. She is blocked again.

"Not bad for a meat dummy."

Sanya shrugs with a complacent smile on her face.

Asami wants to wipe the smug grin of her face. Quick feet close the gap between them. Like a crane in flight, she soars as her fists attack in rapid succession. She sweeps her back leg up to kick. The girl evades her attack. A fan of milky white and jet black hair brush against her ankle. As soon as her foot hits the ground, a palm and a shoulder hit her stomach. She becomes unbalanced as her feet struggle to find stability. She leans back and ducks as she avoids another barrage of attacks. A smirk spreads across her face. Her feet find security, but she does not show it.

The water bender pushes away Asami's punches and extends her hands to push the girl back. Open palms stop just short of her breasts. Sanya's eyes widen in shock.

She shakes her head. "No, no, no. I didn't mean to, no,"

A mischievous smirk grows on Asami's face as she pushes away Sanya's palms. Her arms swoop in for a series of punches, but each is blocked. Sanya's open palms counter with each block. Asami locks herself into the water bender's attacks. She refuses to be pushed away again. The girls' arm are locked together, like the antlers of fighting gemsbok bulls. From afar one might think they are dancing. The water bender's feet kick and slide, doing their best to trip their opponent. Asami evades and attacks. Their movements rival that of professional dancers.

She steps back and sends a kick toward Sanya's head. The girl dodges the attack, and like water spilling, she rolls forward onto the floor. She grabs Asami's other leg and pushes her onto her back. She keeps her hold on her leg. Asami waits for her to get comfortable. Her playful smile spreads from ear to ear. She wraps one of her legs around Sanya's body, the other around her leg. Her left hand grabs the water bender's side as her right hand pushes her shoulder. She pins the water bender to the ground by holding her hands above her head. She makes herself comfortable as she straddles Sanya's hips. The only sound in the room comes from the girls' heavy breathing. Asami's heart beats against her ribcage. She laughs. She is not sure why, but she laughs. The girl below her beams.

"Thank you." Asami finally says after catching her breath.

"For?"

"Clearing up the storm. There's plenty of room for you here." She taps her chest.

Bright red creeps into the girl's face. "Just let me know when I can move in."

Asami giggles. "I think you moved in a long time ago."

The flush on her face deepens. With her hands will pinned down, she lifts her head and kisses Asami's cheek.

"You wanna try that again? I think you missed." Asami bites back a grin.

Sanya's eyes widen with surprise. She lifts her head again. Asami meets her halfway. The moment their lips touch she feels a familiar warmth enveloping her body. She intertwines her fingers with Sanya's as she still holds the girls hands over her head. A nagging pull in the pit of her stomach makes her body move lower so she straddles the girl's legs. A primal hunger aches for more. Her lips curl into a smile she is sure the water bender can feel. She is glad the girl is not protesting having her hands pinned to the floor.

Sanya's hips buck up. Asami whimpers in the girl's mouth. The sudden contact sets her skin on fire. The hunger in her grows. It pleads for more.

She pulls away. Sanya's heavy breath dry her wet lips. The water bender bites her lip as she watches Asami's chest rise and fall. A pang of playful jealously hits her. She wants to be the one to bite those full pink lips.

After catching her breath, she leans down to kiss the girl again. Sanya jerks her head up to meet Asami's lips. The moment their lips touch, a soft thud echoes in the room. They are pulled apart by unseen hands. Asami releases her grip on the water bender's hands and snaps up. Her boots have fallen over.

Yuna stands in the doorway wearing a light blue dress. An impish smirk decorates her face. "Well, I see you two are busy."

"Oh no! We were just sparring!" She jumps to her feet. Her face burns with embarrassment.

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" The old woman laughs. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that we'll be leaving now. You two can get back to your sparring." She continues to chuckle as she walks back into the hall.

Asami jogs after her. She is not sure why, for she cannot think of one word to say. She leans on the doorway.

"Don't worry, we'll lock the door and the gate." Yuna waves as she walks down the corridor.

"Thank you!" Asami screams.

The woman waves without looking back.

She turns back into the gym to find Sanya clutching the blueprint with her head against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Asami calls out, a small laugh lines her words.

"You got me all hot and bothered." She covers her face.

Asami's face turns a deeper shade of red. "Sanya." She calls out again, her outstretched hand beacons for her.

The water bender peeks out from behind her hands. Her eyes land on the hand calling to her. Asami bites back a grin as she wonders what is going through her head. Sanya walks toward her, blueprint still in her hand.

She reaches out for Asami's hand and freezes. Her hand hovers over the girl's open palm. "If I touch you, I don't think I can stop."

"Good." She grabs Sanya's hand and drags her out of the room.

It has been a long time since she last ran through these corridors with a smile on her face. The floors echo their footfalls, reminding them how empty the mansion is tonight. The walls are silent, promising to keep this night a secret.

She leads Sanya up a arching staircase. They run head first into darkness. For a moment, Asami thinks she might have lost her way. She has been away for so long that the corridors seem unfamiliar without light to guide her. She remembers the Beifong home, full of life and laughter. A stark contrast to this mansion, so empty an quiet. She wonders how she could ever call this palace a home again.

She slows to a stop. A warm body bumps into her.

"Don't tell me you're lost."

"Would you still follow me if I were? You'd end up lost too." She smirks.

"I wouldn't be lost if I were with you." Her voice is nearly a whisper.

Asami turns around, taken aback by the girl's response. She cannot see Sanya. The water bender is mere silhouette in the shadows. Her grip tightens on her hand. She opens her mouth to speak, but her words are caught in her throat.

Sanya's lips brush against her hand. "Let's go get lost?"

"Let's." She pulls Sanya to a lone door at the end of the corridor.

The handle is cold as she turns it to open the door. Someone has pulled back the heavy burgundy curtains on the windowed doors taking up most the opposite wall. Moonlight spills into the room. Elongated shadows decorate the dark wooden floors. Their bags are neatly set against the wall on her right. A large four post bed sits idly in the center of the room. White sheets and matching pillows wait patiently to be used. A fine layer of dust covers a large antique desk and chair on the far right wall. This desk is empty, unlike the mess she left on her work station in the garage. A lone notepad and a telephone are all that sit atop this desk. She looks to her left to find her make-up counter empty. The photos that once decorated the large vanity mirror are gone, leaving only their outline.

"It's so big." Sanya's eyes scan the room as she closes the door.

"I guess it. The bathroom is through that door." She points to a door beside the vanity mirror and make up counter. "I've got a bunch of towels in my closet." Her finger swings to the right to points to a door beside her desk. "I guess that's all there is to know. So, welcome to my old room."

She begins to walk toward the two mirrored doors leading to the balcony that take up their position at the opposite end of the room. A soft tug of her hand pulls her back. She turns to face Sanya and stumbles into the girl's arms. Her eyes become sapphire gems in the pale moonlight. The white in her hair nearly glows a soft silver. Asami thinks the moon spirit herself proudly shines a spotlight on her own creation. Sanya leans in and presses her lips on Asami's. She does not object. She plans to finish what they started in the gym. Asami holds Sanya's face in her hands. She pushes the girl back against the door. Her hand searches for the door handle. She pulls away from the kiss, and stares at Sanya's mouth. The water bender's tongue runs along her lips, taking in the taste Asami left.

_Click_. The sound of the door locking brings a smile to both their faces. Smiles that do not dissipate as they dive back into their kiss. Strong hands take hold of Asami's hips and slide up her back. She takes a step back, pulling the girl with her. Sanya follows as she presses her body against Asami's. The heat radiating off her body enthralls her. The pressure in the pit of her stomach demands more then a kiss.

Something hits the back of Asami's knees. She falls backwards onto her bed. Sanya pulls up her skirt and parts her knees, wedging her body between her legs. She steadies herself with her arms on either side of Asami.

"I don't know why I did that. I'm sorry." She says between breaths.

"I'm not" Asami gives her a quick peck on the lips before sliding up to the head of the bed. She pulls Sanya in by the collar of her sweater.

The girl takes her place between Asami's legs. She wraps her legs around Sanya's torso before reaching up and pulling off the girl's hair tie. She runs her fingers through her hair. Tiny tendrils of silk caress her skin. The girl sits on her heels and shoots Asami a smile. She has never seen Sanya smile like this before. Breathing becomes difficult for her. She cannot look away. Her heart pounds in her chest. Her worries vanish and her mind is blank. All because of a smile.

The water bender leans in to kiss her again. She can feel the girl's hand fiddling with the buttons on her top as though they unsure if they are allowed to undo them. Asami refuses to release Sanya's lips as she hastily wriggles out of her top. She tosses it aside and flings her arms around Sanya's neck. Her hands hover over Asami's bare skin, but she does not touch her.

She pulls away, finding fear in the water bender's eyes. "Why are you afraid to touch me now?" She whispers into Sanya's mouth.

"I have rough hands."

She cannot help but smile. "I don't care."

The water bender's fingers glide over her skin and undo the hooks on her bra. A sharp inhale causes a tiny shriek to escape her lips when Sanya's pushes her back into the bed. The nagging in her grows, it craves the water bender's bare skin. She tugs her sweater over her head and throws it behind her without breaking their kiss. She presses her body against Asami. Her warmth radiates from her skin. The scent of jasmine and lavender fills her. She runs her hands along the muscles on Sanya's back. Her fingers trace the raised skin of her tattoos and claw her chest wrap.

Sanya pulls away. Asami bites her lip. Soft bite marks appear as the girl grins. Her lips brush against Asami's chin. She stares at the ceiling and tries to steady her breathing. A sparkle catches her eye, but her mind is too intoxicated to wonder what it is.

Sanya moves down to her neck. Her eyes shut when she feels her tongue graze her skin like a feather. The water bender writes her name on Asami's skin with her lips. An S on her neck makes breathing difficult. Sanya slides down her body. An A between her breasts makes her shiver, feeding the fire Sanya ignited within her. She fears she might lose control of her body. An N is planted at her side, just below her ribs. The warm wetness of her lips makes causes a whimper to escape Asami. Her hips move up, craving attention. She steadies herself and covers her mouth. Sanya slides down again, her hands on Asami's hips.

She looks up. "Is this okay?" Her voice is lower and softer than usual.

Asami looks down to see the girl sitting between her legs. She nods yes. She needs her to finish spelling out her name. Light hands unzip her skirt and pull off her leggings. Her lips graze her hip bone as her tongue draws a Y on her skin. The pressure in the pit of her stomach intensifies. Hot breath sets her skin aflame as it travels down her thigh. Her chest rises and falls with her labored breathing. The water bender lowers her head and presses an A with her lips against her inner thigh. Asami's muscles tense as her back arches up. She groans and finds herself wishing that the water bender had a longer name.

"Is this okay?"

"You really don't need to ask anymore." She exhales.

The corners of Sanya's mouth twitch into a smirk. Asami throws her head back, the sparkling object on the ceiling catches her eye again. The feeling of teeth grazing against her inner thigh makes her mind go blank. She wriggles and clutches onto the bedsheets. It takes all her effort to keep from whimpering. The water bender's hand slides in between her legs and applies gentle pressure. Asami gasps, a groan escapes her as she shuts her eyes. Her grip on the bedsheets tightens. Her body demands more of Sanya's touch. Her lungs forget how to breathe. The girl's tongue, like a brush, paints her picture on Asami's skin.

She feels her underwear slip down her leg. She covers her face with her hands. Chill air hits wet skin and brings a shiver up her spine. Her clouded mind can only focus on trying to silence herself. Sanya's warm exhale makes her tense. She feels a tap on her elbow. She looks down to see Sanya's face between her legs.

"Don't hide." She whispers.

Asami's hands grip the blanket below her. Every nerve in her body pleads for Sanya's kiss. This wish is granted. It feels as though she is losing herself in a current. Each moment of contact sends her further down a river and further away form her troubles. Her back arches up and her hips move forward. She bites her lip as she groans. She runs her hand through Sanya's hair. She smiles when she realizes she might be holding onto the girl's hair just a little too tightly. The nagging in the pit of her stomach intensifies. Uneven breaths come between low groans. Molten ore flows through her veins, feeding the flames between her thighs. Asami's grip on the blanket tightens. Her muscles tense. Each kiss feeds the fire she started. Each brush of her tongue sends shockwaves throughout her body. The pressure in Asami's stomach detonates. She throws her head back and lets out a cry. She unknowingly pushes Sanya's head down. Overwhelming waves pulse through her body. With ragged breaths, she cries out again. Her body falls back onto the bed.

Her muscles unwind. She releases her hold on Sanya's head and allows the girl to come up for air. Gentle kisses and soft nips cause her to wriggle. Every nerve stands on end, ready to receive more of what Sanya has to offer. The water bender slides her body between Asami's legs. She brings her hand up to wipe glistening wetness from her mouth. Asami stops her. She removes each of her sleeves and kisses the scars covering the girl's arm. Her lips leave a trail from Sanya's wrist to her mouth. The water bender's lips are slick and taste of her. Her hunger has only grown.

Asami pulls away and sits on her heels. "Turn around." Her voice is husky.

Sanya obeys.

The pale rays of the moon illuminate the dark ink on the girl's back. Asami pushes her hair to the side and begins undoing her chest wrap. The picture painted on her back slowly makes itself known. This will be the first time she sees the piece in its entirety. She unwinds the last foot of the wrap and tosses it into a bundle at the foot of the bed. She stares at what seems to be the spirit of a woman wearing a long robe materializing from a crescent moon. The woman's hand reaches out for a cloud. Within the cloud two koi fish swim in a circle, one painted a pale blue while the other is pure black. Her other hand carries a shield. She has no eyes, no mouth, no face. But, there is something in her facelessness that brings a sudden pang of sorrow to Asami's heart. Her finger traces the indentations left by the chest wrap. She kisses her shoulder and wraps her arms around her. The girl offers her neck. Asami cannot refuse. She drags her nails down Sanya's abdomen. The girl's muscles tense. Her fingers fight with pants' buttons before she slides her hand down to reap her reward. The girl inhales and exhales with an audile gasp. Her soft groans echo in her ears. She holds the girl tighter, her nails dig into her ribs and slide down her abdomen. Her mind is drunk with the sound of Sanya's voice, a voice only she is allowed to hear.

Sanya's hips move forward, pleading for more. Her body becomes a slave to her touch. Asami cannot help but grin at the thought. The sudden power she has over the girl only intensifies her hunger. Sanya pulls away. A moment of panic overcomes Asami, _did I do something wrong?_ She thinks. The water bender sits at the foot of the bed and wriggles out of the clothes covering her lower half. She turns to face her. The same hunger that nags at Asami glistens in the water bender's eyes. For a moment, she is frozen. She watches Sanya come to her on all fours. Her lips part just as they meet Asami's, and she exhales. Hot breath flows into Asami's mouth, she has forgotten to breath. She inhales before sealing her mouth with a kiss.

She falls onto her back without breaking the kiss. Sanya straddles her leg. A curtain of her hair falls to one side, hiding their face from an ever watchful moon. Asami's hips move up as Sanya's move down. She feels she no longer has control of her body as it becomes desperate to feed the nagging hunger below her waist. Sanya breaks their kiss as her lips make their way down Asami's neck. She can feel the girl's heart nearly bursting out of her chest. Each exhale carries a resonating cry. She opens her eyes to find that sparkling object on her ceiling again. One thrust from Sanya shuts her eyes and makes her gasp. She presses her body into her, wanting to hold her closer. She inhales the scent sweat and lavender muddled together, it enthralls her. Nails claw at silken skin. Groans and whimpers fill her ears. Sanya's teeth clamp down on her neck. Asami cries out, not from pain but from pleasure. Her hips move to match Sanya's rhythm. The water bender's body tenses. She can no longer suppress her cries. As though the flood gates were broken, Asami feels a raging river wash over the girl. A river that spills into her. The girl's labored breaths dry her wet skin. Her body begins to relax. She jolts at the slightest touch. But the hunger in Asami demands more.

She swings her leg around Sanya's torso and pushes her down. Asami now sits atop the girl. She pins her hands above her head. The water bender's chest rises and falls rapidly. The look in her eyes, like the moon to the tide, pulls at the pressure nagging in Asami's stomach.

"Sanya, this is bad." She manages to say as she reaches back for the discarded chest wrap.

The girl chews on her lip as she raises an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to let you get any sleep tonight." She places Sanya's hand on the bars of the bed's headboard.

The girl does not object. "You and I have very different definitions of the word bad." Her voice is low and raspy.

Asami grins as she ties Sanya's hands to the bars. She runs her hands down her body until they find their place between her legs. She arches her back and pulls on her restraints. Her rib cage expands as she bites her bicep. The groan rising up from her throat sets off another fire in Asami. She knows it is a bad idea to stay up all night. She knows they need to rest. She knows they will be exhausted tomorrow. The grin on her face grows as she dives into Sanya again.

One kiss from the water bender stamps out her logic and reignites her lust.

"Yes, I understand." She twirls the phone's cord on her finger.

The man on the other end of the phone spews statistics at her. She sits at her desk and does her best to take in all the numbers.

Asami brings the collar of her shirt up to her nose and inhales. She looks back at the sleeping figure on her bed. Her hand drops to her inner thigh. Her finger runs over a purple patch of skin, a signature left by Sanya. A twinge of left over sensations briefly courses through her body. Her fingers glide over a mark on her neck. Scenes from last night flash in her head.

"Miss Sato? Are you still there?" His voices pulls her out of her memories and brings her back into the present.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Her head snaps back to stare at the phone. "I understand sir. I agree with you." She rubs her forehead as the fog of sleepiness creeps into her head. "Go head with the plans. Inform everyone that the factory will be closed for at least a week. I will call a meeting within a few days to talk about what we will do afterward. The important thing now is to compensate those who were injured and killed during the attack, is that clear?"

"But ma'am the factory's funds,"

"But nothing. They will be compensated the amount I have stated. Is that clear."

A pause.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Enjoy your day off." She hangs up the phone.

She smooths out her shirt and walks back to sit on the bed. Sanya lies on her stomach on the side of the bed she usually takes up. She faces Asami, but a blanket of white and black cover her sleeping features. She reaches out and pushes the blanket down. Her fingers run over the red marks she left on the girl's back, remnants of last night. She leans in closer to inspect her tattoos. The koi fish swimming in the cloud are gone. Only her claw marks are left where they once swam.

The water bender stirs. Asami pulls away and crawls back into the sheets. She sits against the headboard, its bars dig into her back.

"Sanya, are you awake?"

"No." Her voice is heavy with sleep.

"Okay." She says with a smirk on her face.

She takes a pillow and wallops Sanya's back.

The girl does not move. A single blue eye peeks out from behind a curtain of hair. "That was uncalled for."

Asami giggles.

Sanya wraps her arm around Asami's thighs and rest her head on her lap. "Who was on the phone?" She mutters.

"You heard?"

"Some of it."

"Person from the company called. No good news of course. We have to close down for a bit." She runs her finger through the girl's hair.

Sanya groans. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Her head falls back onto the bars of her headboard.

Her eyes catch the object on her ceiling. She straightens up. From her position it looks like a small, chrome plated handle.

She pats Sanya's arm. "Can you help me with something?"

"Of course." She flips onto her back and sits up.

Asami points to the ceiling. "I think we need to open that."

The water bender sweeps her hair back and looks up. "Okay, can you turn on the sink?"

Asami leaps out of bed and heads toward the bathroom door.

"But before you do that,"

She freezes and turns around.

"Could I have a shirt? Since you seem to gone through the trouble of looking for and wearing mine."

She looks down at the shirt, the insignia of the Republic City metal bending police is printed on its front. She smiles and heads toward her closet. Asami looks for one shirt in particular, a black one with the Future Industries logo printed in red. She digs it out of a pile of her old pajamas. It is wrinkled and the logo has faded. She smoothes it out and jogs toward her bathroom door. She tosses the shirt at Sanya as she passes by. Asami barges into her bathroom and immediately turns on the sink . The water does not make it into the bowl as it zooms past her into her room. Water hovers above the bed as it solidifies into blocks that start to form steps. She yawns and walks up the frozen staircase as it forms.

"Okay. That's good, thanks." She gives a thumbs up.

Asami shuts off the water and scurries back into her room.

"It looks like someone tried to paint over this." Cream colored paint chips fall onto the bed and floor. "And maybe someone tried to get in here and open it again."

Sanya pulls the handle down with her finger.

Nothing happens.

She jiggles the handle. The ceiling creaks. With a mighty shove, a panel gives way and causes a flurry of chips to fall. She pushes the panel in and sticks her head inside. The opening is small, too small to allow Sanya to crawl into it. Her broad shoulders hit the edges, but she does not seem to mind.

"Are you okay? Do you need a flashlight?"

She does not answer. Instead, she ducks out and reaches into the hole. "Watch out." She warns as she pulls out a thick leather bound book and drops it. _Thud_. A cloud of dust forms and dissipates around the book. Asami crouches beside it.

"You had no idea that was up there?" Sanya jumps down and begins bending the ice back into the bathroom.

Asami shakes her head no. "Apparently, I'm really bad a noticing things in my own house." She dusts off the book and examines the lock on its side. "I told you I'm hardly ever in here if I'm not sleeping. And I don't sleep on my back, I would have never noticed it before." The lock clicks. She looks up to find Sanya sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.

Asami falls on her bottom and opens the lock with a sigh. "I think it's someone's journal. It could be my-" She stops mid-sentence.

A photo falls into her lap. Five year old Asami shows off a gap toothed grin as her mother holds her hand. She smiles, but her eyes look tired. Hiroshi Sato stands beside them, holding his jacket and looking straight into the camera.

She swallows the lump in her throat and sets the photo aside. Hesitant fingers flip through the yellowed pages. Elegant strokes of ink fill entire pages. Detailed sketches of flowers and people break up blocks of text. More photos of a younger Asami and her mother are stuck between the pages.

"Asami?"

"This belonged to my mother." Her voice is flat.

She stops on a page and begins reading. _We had another fight. Hiroshi still refuses to make peace with my sister. I don't want to think he has something against earth benders, or benders in general… But sometimes I feel like I married a stranger. The things he says when he's angry… I shouldn't think too much about that right? He won't let me leave again. I think I might go mad if I didn't have my daughter. She's so big now. She said her first word today, 'mama.' Yuna says she looks just like me, but I think she looks more like Isami. I wonder if she'll look like my sister when she grows up._

Asami stops reading and closes the journal. Tears well up in her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. Her mother never mentioned her aunt, nor did Hiroshi. She shakes her head. Hiroshi always carried his hatred for benders. She cannot deal with this journal today. Not today of all days. Anxieties return, causing a hurricane of thoughts in her mind. The hurricane is halted. She feels arms wrap around her waist.

She wipes away a stray tear. "I would have been her birthday today."

"I know." Sanya face is buried in Asami's back. "Aunite told me." Her muffled words travel up her back.

She opens her fist to reveal a necklace. A large pink pearl sits in the center. Two smaller white pearls sit on either side. A thin silver chain holds them together.

"Auntie helped me make it. I'm sorry it couldn't be prettier." Sanya rests her head on her shoulder. "I could only find five good ones. I gave the rejects to the air babies. Why didn't anyone tell me it was so hard to find pearls." She jokes.

"You dove for these?" She runs a finger along the silver chain.

"I did."

"For me?"

"Well, for your mom. You told me about her pearl necklace and how much you loved it. So, I thought I would make you one to help you feel better about everything."

She takes the necklace in her hand. Her eye catches the photo of on the floor. Her mother wears a pearl necklace in the photo.

"Can I wear it?"

"If you want."

She moves her hair aside and gives holds up the necklace. Sanya takes it and fastens it around her neck.

Asami turns around and throws her arms around Sanya's neck. "Why are you so good to me?"

"You've had a lot of bad things in your life. And it makes me mad because you have such a big heart, it doesn't seem fair. I can at least try to be one good thing." She tightens her embrace. "Plus a girl like you? Please, you deserve better than screw-up like me."

She pulls away and slaps the water bender's arm.

"What did I do?" She tries to suppress a grin.

Asami takes the girl's face in her hands and pushes her cheeks together. "Don't ever say that again. You're wonderful."

Sanya nods yes and does her best to smile with pursed lips.

She gives her a quick kiss before releasing her grip. "Thank you for this." She runs a hand over the smooth pearls. "I should show this to Lin though."

"I think you should read it before you show it to her."

"I might."

The girls stare at journal. Asami wants to spend the day reading her mother's journal, lying in bed with Sanya, living in a memory. But, she has no choice but put all this aside today.

She leans on Sanya's chest and fiddles with her hands. "I have an aunt. Or, had. I don't know if she's still alive."

"Oh?" Sanya picks up the photo.

"My mom thought I'd look like her."

"She must be gorgeous then. Are all the women in your family so good at drawing?"

Asami smiles. Her face turns pink.

Sanya places the photo on the journal. "Happy birthday Mrs. Sato."

She exhales, her breath carrying away some of her tension.

The girls sit in silence. Asami closes her eyes and allows the glow of the noon sun to warp its arms around her. Sanya's heart beats like a drum. Its steady beat carrying her into a sea of peace. She allows herself to be carried into its depths. _Thump. Thump. Thump. _A soft noise thrusts her back to the surface. She wrinkles her brow and does her best to ignore it. _Thump. Thump. Thump. _The noise is louder this time.

"Did you hear that?" She bolts up.

"Hear what?"

_Thump. Thump. Thump. _

"Okay, I heard that." Sanya confirms.

Asami jumps to her feet and dashes to her closet. She pulls on a pair of shorts as she tosses a second pair at Sanya. She hurries out of her room and down the stairs. _Thump. Thump. Thump_. Someone is banging on the door. There are not many people who can get past the front gate. The gears in her mind turn. Her heart races as it circulates anxiety through her veins. She puts a hand on the door handle and takes a deep breath. She bends her knees and prepares to defend herself. With a mighty heave, she opens the door.

"Good afternoon. Or should I say good morning?"

"Lin?" She relaxes.

The woman stands at her doorway. She carries a basket of fruits and two pink boxes in one hand. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Asami stands aside and peeks out through the door. Her front gate is locked. A car is parked in the outdoor foyer. "I thought that was locked." She mutters to herself as she closes the door.

"It was." She winks.

Asami nods with a smile. "What brings you here? Is something wrong?"

"Calm down. It's your mom's birthday. I thought I'd bring lunch. Or, should I say breakfast."

The girl's eyes widen. They plead with Lin. Asami stands on her toes. The woman sighs then opens her arms. Asami lunges and gives her a mighty embrace.

"Auntie!" Sanya calls from the top of the staircase.

Asami releases Lin. Sanya scurries toward her aunt with open arms. The woman pushes her away with a palm to the forehead.

"Okay, that's fine." Sanya smoothes out her shirt as she tries to suppress a grin.

"I take it you two had a long night." Lin turns to Asami.

"What?"

The metal bender points to her neck.

Asami's face burns with embarrassment. Sanya's signature is in plain view. She covers it with her hand. "We were sparring."

"I was talking about the necklace, but okay. You can call it whatever you want." She holds up a hand.

"Well, we found something!" Asami blurts out in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"You did?" Surprise lines the woman's voice.

"Isn't that why you told us to come here?" Sanya asks.

"Well, no. That was just an excuse. You two have been through a lot and the only thing that seems to comfort you is each other. I thought you needed a bit of a alone time after that whole boat incident. Plus, having you two come out here might draw out some equalists. Sorry, I might have you used you as bait. But my people didn't catch anyone."

The girls stand in awe. Their eyes glued to the woman. Sanya's jaw drops.

"But at least the first half of my plan worked. You two seemed to do a lot of comforting last night." She opens one of the boxes in her hand, takes out a steamed bun and shoves it into her niece's open mouth. "Now, which way to the kitchen and where is this thing you found?"

Asami shakes her head. "Sanya can you get the blueprint please?"

The water bender stares at her. Her eyes asking a question her mouth cannot speak.

Asami nods.

Sanya bolts up the stairs with the steamed bun still in her mouth.

"The kitchen is over here." She leads Lin down a quiet corridor.

Asami rubs her forehead. The reality of today finally sets in. Her stomach ties itself into knots. She would give anything to live in last night's memory. They enter an empty kitchen. A white marble countertop sits on an island in the center of the vast room. An empty tea kettle sits beside a six burner stove top. She opens the pale blue curtains on all three windows along the far wall. The sun pours its rays into the room.

Lin takes a seat on a stool at the island. Asami sits opposite of her. The woman opens the boxes to reveal a variety of buns and rolls.

She pushes them toward Asami. "Please."

The girl nods and takes a golden bun. "Thank you."

"Housekeepers not in?"

"I gave them the night off. They should be here in a few hours."

Lin raises an eyebrow and takes a bite of her roll. "So, you two are okay? She didn't do anything wrong?"

"Oh no!" Asami fidgets. "We're fine. She's a total sweetheart."

"She better be." Lin murmurs.

"How are things on your end?"

"I've got the police under control. I don't know why they still listen me, I'm not their chief anymore."

"You'll always be the Chief." Asami leans over and lightly punches her shoulder.

"Yeah." Lin tries not to smile. "The actual chief didn't seem to happy about it though. Most of them will be on site. Bumi and his troops will be on stand by at the docks just in case."

Asami frowns. So many people are depending on her plan to succeed.

"I thought you'd be happy to hear that."

"Me too. I came up with a plan based on guesses. It seems a bit weird doesn't it?"

"Weirder things have happened. Trust me."

"And weirder they'll get." She leans in closer to the woman. "Lin, I have to warn you and I know you'll tell the others. This group is much more dangerous than before. There are more of them, not as highly trained or skilled, but the numbers might be overwhelming. Their gloves can be set to kill."

The metal grates on the stove begin to rattle. "I understand."

Sanya runs down the hall past the kitchen. Asami cranes her neck, hoping to get a better view of where the girl went.

She appears in the doorway with the blueprint and journal in hand. "I have never been to your kitchen. I got lost."

Lin tosses the girl a banana. The clattering metal stops.

"Sanya found a blueprint of what I'm sure is the old factory they'll be using as a base." Asami unrolls the blueprint on the countertop. "It's bigger than I thought it would be. They might be holding more troops or weapons."

"Will this be a problem?"

Asami shakes her head no. "We can get in and out with disguises."

"I'm always up for a good costume party." Sanya says with a mouth full of fruit.

"We can still mess things up pretty bad for them. There shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"I wish there were some way you could contact me if something went wrong." Lin rubs her chin, emerald eyes scan the blueprint.

"They should make portable telephones." Sanya adds as she swallows the rest of her banana reaches for a steamed bun.

Asami raises an eyebrow.

"That will never catch on. Keep dreaming." Lin says. She looks up and points to the journal. "And what's this?"

"My mother's journal." She looks down at her hands. "You should take it. You might find something,"

"No." Lin interjects. "That belongs to you now. I don't need it for my search. Should you find anything useful, I'm sure you'll tell me. But you keep that, okay? We'll talk about it after we clear up today's mess."

She nods. "Yes ma'am."

"I better go. I left Li and Jet at the station." She gets to her feet. "You two have a couple of hours to spare. Get some rest all right?"

Asami nods as she leaves the counter, preparing to follow Lin out of the kitchen and to her car.

"I can see myself out. I can lock everything. You two need to get some rest." She points to her niece. "Especially you. I don't know what will happen today and you've been through a lot. Rest up okay? And make sure you eat enough." She ruffles the girl's hair.

"Yes auntie." Sanya says before taking another bite.

She points to Asami. "You too."

She nods and watches the woman walk away.

The girls say nothing. The sound of a door locking whispers from across the corridor. Asami exhales and slumps back into her seat. The sound of rushing water and clanking silverware makes her turn her head. Sanya stands over the stove watching the kettle. She opens nearby cupboards to find a pair of matching mugs and an old box of tea.

Asami rests her head in her arms. _Just get through today. _She thinks. Every possible scenario that might take place flashes in her head. She shuts her eyes and squeezes tight. A hand rubs her back, rubbing away all the anxieties assaulting her mind.

The kettle begins to whistle. The hand leaves her back.

Asami opens her eyes and exhales. "Just get through today."


End file.
